


Moments and Memories

by WeSayNosoro



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Angst, But all the drabbles are completely unrelated to each other so, F/F, Fluff, Future, Kissing, Love Confessions, More Character and Relationship Tags to be added later, There's a death in chapter 6 so don't read that one if you don't wanna, gays being gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-05 00:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 31,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11566938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeSayNosoro/pseuds/WeSayNosoro
Summary: Everyday for the rest of the summer, I'll be writing and posting mini drabbles with the girls of Muse and Aqours... let's see how this goes.





	1. Summer Days by the Sea (KanaRuby)

Kanan has many fond memories of her seaside town. From diving in the water from the pier with Chika and You, to racing Dia and Mari down the beach. There was also a time where she held Ruby's hand, walking her along the shore as Dia had to stay at school late and asked her to take care of her little sister for a while.

She used to practice for live shows with Dia and Mari in their first year of high school on the beach, a memory that perhaps isn't as fond as it should be, considering all that happened between them. But one miracle in her life brought her back to doing the thing she loves almost as much as swimming itself. That miracle being Chika and her own school idol club.

Now it's the middle of summer, when Kanan has a constant urge to dive into the water. She's sure You would get mad at her if she did, for not inviting her to join in. She smiles; she can hear You's voice right now, asking her why she is even considering going diving without her.

There come some footsteps behind her, and she turns around to see who it is.

"Ruby?"

"Hi, Kanan-san." Ruby walks forward so she is standing beside her.

"What are you doing here?" Kanan asks, digging her feet into the ground slightly. It's weird to find Ruby outside without Dia or Hanamaru accompanying her, and even weirder that she'd choose to go to the beach of all places.

"I just wanted to go for a walk. Dia has some things to do, so I went out."

"And she'd allow that?" Kanan says jokingly.

"I think so. She does want me to be more independent, after all."

There's a silence, almost awkward, as Ruby tries to figure out what to say next to the best friend of her older sister. Putting it that way, it certainly does feel a little intimidating, despite them being in the same school idol group.

"Dia really does like you," Ruby says eventually. She looks up at Kanan with a shy smile. "She might seem like she doesn't care, but she really does."

"What does she say about me?" Kanan asks, a sly grin on her face. She knows that Ruby wouldn't dare to lie around anybody, especially not someone older than her.

Ruby ponders for a moment. "She says that you really need to spend more time studying instead of going diving so much because you've missed a lot of school and you need to catch up."

 _Ouch_. But Kanan really should have expected this; it's Dia, after all, and she is telling the truth, harsh as it is.

Ruby continues. "Dia also admires your strength and stamina. She likes how laid-back you are, and you rarely panic over anything. She really does value you."

Kanan can't help but feel warm inside. She knows that Dia isn't the best at expressing how much she cares about other people, due to her naturally sharp nature.

Putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder, she asks, "And what do you think of me?"

Ruby's cheeks turn a bright pink at the sudden question, and she lowers her head to the floor.

"Don't worry, I was joking," Kanan laughs. "What do you say we take a walk along the shore, just the two of us?"

Ruby's eyes light up at the suggestion. She nods her head enthusiastically.

"Here." Kanan holds her hand, which is warm and soft.

They walk along the beach, their hands swinging as they talk about Aqours. Ruby seems a lot more relaxed now when chatting about idols, and Kanan loves seeing her smile whenever she talks about her passion. She really is similar to Dia in some ways.

But, listening to her now, Ruby sounds like a different person with different beliefs to her sister. She is her own person, and Kanan loves that about her.

"I liked it when we were younger, when we spent some time together because Dia wouldn't let you be on your own," Kanan says wistfully.

"Yeah, you and Mari-san were fun to be around."

They burst out laughing at the realisation that Dia would not agree with the Mari part, seeing her as a hazard to young children.

Leaning forward, Kanan softly kisses Ruby on the cheek. It's such a nice feeling that rushes through her as Ruby stares at her, speechless.

"I'd really love to spend more time with you."


	2. Surprise (NozoNicoEli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nico's birthday.

What Nico doesn’t expect when she arrives backstage after her concert is Nozomi and Eli waiting for her, wearing pretty dresses and cute accessories. Nozomi is holding a large pink balloon, with the words “Happy birthday!” written on it in a bold font.

  
“What- What are you doing here?” Nico asks, more surprised than anything. Eli chuckles.

  
“Well, it’s the birthday of the number one idol in the universe! How could we miss it?”

  
Nico turns around, looking at the curtains that separate them from the stage. She had announced a birthday concert not too long ago, and her fans were eager to come and fill up the stadium with their pink glowsticks. They were all united as one, and Nico truly saw that she is making people smile.

  
It’s such a warm feeling.

  
“We watched you from back here, as we didn’t want you to notice us in the audience. After all, how could that be a surprise if you already knew?” Nozomi states, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She kisses Nico on the cheek. “Let’s go and have a night in together, just the three of us. Everyone else is coming tomorrow.”

  
Nico hurriedly gets changed into more casual attire, and leaves with both of her girlfriends. Eli’s the first one to hold her hand this time, squeezing it softly as they walk down the dimly lit path home.

  
As a famous idol, Nico has a fairly large house. However, that’s the least of her cares as her main aim when she began was to make sure that her family was comfortable enough with their living situation before even thinking about herself. They take off their shoes at the front door, going into the living room.

  
“Are you sure you were allowed to just go home with us? Won’t your fans follow you or something?” Eli asks, concerned.

  
Nico waves a hand dismissively. “My manager took care of all that. I was told to take a few days off to celebrate whilst they handle everything.”

  
She seats herself on the sofa, Nozomi and Eli sitting at either side of her. Nozomi drapes an arm around her.

  
“How about a cuddle for our favourite idol?” She says, winking.

  
In response to this, Nico leans on her shoulder, and Eli puts her arms around her. Reaching over, Nozomi flicks on a light, and immediately the room is lit up in a faint pink. How fitting.

  
“So, where’s my present?”

  
Eli gestures to her bag on the floor. It’s big, so maybe the present is important. “You can open it tomorrow. I think you’ll like it.”

  
That gets Nico excited, but she doesn’t want to spoil the peaceful mood. Instead, she pulls out a soft blanket from behind the sofa, laying it over the three of them. They shuffle closer together at this, enjoying the cozy feeling.

  
“Maybe you should invite Elicchi and I to be guests at your next concert. We can sing together,” Nozomi suggests.

  
“I’d like that.”

  
“Me too.”

  
They sit in a comfortable silence for the rest of the night, until they eventually fall asleep on each other. Nico likes this peace sometimes. At least that’s how it will be until tomorrow. For now though, she’ll savour this.

  
—

  
Honoka barges in the next day with a key that Nico has no idea where she got it from.

  
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICO-CHAN!” She yells, startling all three of them awake. Umi loudly hisses at her to be quiet.

  
“HONOKA, YOU IDIOT!” Nico shoots back, leaping off the sofa to grab the key, which Honoka holds high in the air so she can’t reach.

  
As they’re fighting over it, Nozomi leans over to Eli and whispers, “They never change, do they?”

  
Eli agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love,, nozonicoeli so much give me more of them


	3. Nine Stars (RinMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki goes stargazing.

There's a clear sky tonight. Perfect for stargazing. After putting on a warm jumper and getting her astronomy books and portable telescope, Maki heads out to one of her favourite places.

It's a tall hill that grants a perfect view of the city. Maki has come here ever since she was a kid to look at the stars whilst her mother taught her about all the constellations in the sky. It's a second home to her, almost. To her, it's nothing more than a simple hobby, but she still gets that warm feeling whenever she spends a night up here. And with the whole school idol business, she hasn't had much time to herself lately. She's just looking forward to having a peaceful time.

However, that doesn't seem to be the case. As she reaches the peak of the hill, she catches sight of a girl sitting on the grass, knees hugged into her chest. Despite the darkness, Maki immediately recognises that short ginger hair and small figure.

"Rin?" she asks, getting closer. The girl in question turns her head to Maki, her face quickly brightening up when she notices her.

"Hiya, Maki-chan!" Rin pats the grass beside her, gesturing for Maki to sit there. She does, though she tries to keep a gap between them. She isn't one for invading personal space, not that Rin has any idea of the concept.

"What are you doing here? I never pegged you as the type to enjoy stargazing on your own."

Rin's smile widens as she turns back to the sea of stars in front of them. "I like coming here when I want to be alone or to think. I've always loved the stars."

"Really?" Maki raises her eyebrows. Now that she thinks of it, Rin really does look calmer than usual. Her surname, too, it'd be a wasted opportunity if she didn't take some kind of liking to the stars.

"Yeah! What about you?"

"It's just been a hobby of mine for a long time, I suppose." Maki shrugs her shoulders to sound more casual. "Wait a minute. What's bothering you then, if you want to think on your own?"

Rin laughs, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Y'know, about Love Live and stuff. It would be super awesome if we could win!" She spreads her arms out wide. "Like, massively awesome! I never took any interest in school idols before this, and I only did it at first to follow you guys. But I've come to realise that I love it!"

She shouts the last sentence to the stars, her voice echoing in the distance. "Rin would love for us to win, and be stars in our own way! Just like those!"

Maki looks back towards the sky. Upon closer inspection, she realises that there are nine stars particularly close to each other, symbolising each member of Muse. "So those could be us?" she asks, pointing at them.

Nodding her head vigorously, Rin grabs Maki's arm in excitement. "And even if we don't win, we'll have super cool memories together! I want to be with all of you forever!"

"Hm? Not everything lasts forever, you know," Maki replies. "Friendships tend to drift apart after some time."

"Rin knows that, but still! It wouldn't be hard to try!"

"You never give up, do you?"

In response to this, Rin hugs Maki, tackling her to the ground. The grass is slightly damp, but neither of them seem to notice.

"Hey! What're you-?"

Maki rolls over, so that she's on top of Rin.

"Rin doesn't like giving up, Maki-chan." She's got that stupid grin on her face again, but Maki finds it strangely endearing. "What would you do if I said that I want to be with you forever, too?"

"Huh?"

Rin stays silent, waiting for an answer as she keeps smiling at Maki. She's still on the ground, with Maki on top of her, and she doesn't attempt to move, either.

"I'd... I'd..."

"Come on,' Rin teases in a sing-song voice. How infuriating.

With a moment's hesitation, Maki moves in to kiss Rin to keep her quiet, pinning her wrists onto the ground. It's oddly satisfying as she savours every part of it, whilst Rin doesn't attempt to move away. Instead, she happily returns the kiss.

When Maki finally moves away, Rin is still smiling. "I take that as a yes?" she says, sitting up.

"... I guess..." Maki turns away, trying to distract herself by looking at the stars.

"Aw, come on! Say that you liked it!"

"Why should I? You know the answer perfectly fine!"

"Yeah, but Rin would love to hear Maki-chan say it herself!"

Maki groans in defeat. She kisses Rin again to shut her up, and then sets up her stargazing equipment, the reason she came here in the first place.

There are nine stars, shining brightly together in the dark blue sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SLAMS FISTS ON TABLE I LOVE RINMAKI THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SHIP AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH
> 
> ahem anyway just a small thing that you may or may not have noticed but I pretty much never write in rin's "nya"s, similar to how I never write in hanamaru's "zura"s. Just a personal choice, really. They're still there, I just choose not to write them in.


	4. Unique (ChikaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riko practically melts.

_Slam_.

Chika's hand is pressed against the wall, smirking as she traps Riko in front of her.

"Is this how you do it?" she asks in a deep tone. _God how sexy._

Blushing bright red, Riko resists the urge to sink to the floor and admire her girlfriend right there and then. She wouldn't want to spoil the mood. Chika is... well, Riko can't deny that Chika is somehow unfathomably hot like this, her ruby eyes piercing every part of Riko's being. The top button of her shirt is unbuttoned, showing off her bare skin above her chest, and her tie is loose around her neck.

"Chika-chan..." Riko stutters, lost for words.

And then the atmosphere is immediately broken when Chika steps back, doing her button up and putting her tie on properly. Riko is pretty disappointed, but she hides that as she moves away from the wall to sit on her chair.

"What did you think of that, Riko-chan? I've been practicing!"

"Practicing?" Riko tries to think what Chika must be practicing for, but her mind draws a blank. Perhaps it's to impress somebody else, somebody better than her...

Her heart jumps at the thought. _Don't be silly_. Chika's her girlfriend, after all, and there's no way she's stoop so low as to cheat on her. She isn't like that at all.

"Yeah! I found some of your yuri magazines under your bed when we had a sleepover! I wanted to impress you with what I found in those! You really like walls, don't you?"

Riko freezes. "Wait, you read those?" Her voice raises in alarm.

"Well, they weren't in a very good hiding place, for starters..."

Burying her head in her hands, Riko lets out a loud groan. How could she have been so careless? She was sure that nobody would find them there, but it seems that Chika is more clever than she thinks. Chika steps closer, pulling a chair up and sitting beside her. She pats her on the back, chuckling.

"You really do have an interesting hobby."

Riko promptly wishes for the ground to open up and swallow her right there.

"But y'know, I like that about you." Chika counts off on her fingers. "Your strange obsession with mermaids, your love of yuri magazines, your fear of even the smallest puppies..."

With each thing being said, Riko feels herself turn the same colour as a tomato. Not very attractive, but at least her head is still in her hands so Chika can't see.

"I like those unique qualities." Riko stops, hesitantly removing her hands and looking up at Chika. She continues. "As well as that, you're clever and can play the piano, and you've got good looks to top it off. But more importantly."

"But more importantly...?" Riko prompts, and Chika leans in closer.

"You're nice and sweet and kind and loyal and-"

"I think I get the message." Finally smiling, Riko stands up. "What will I ever do with you?" She shakes her head in mock exasperation, extending her hand out to Chika.

"Let's go to practice. The others are surely waiting for us by now."

"Yes!" Chika grabs her hand, and drags her upstairs to the roof.

Before they enter, Chika makes sure to slowly unbutton the top of her shirt once more, just as a tease, before kissing Riko on the cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I do really like ChikaRiko, and this was also super fun to write! Even if it's not my otp, it's still an adorable ship and I'll willingly write about it whenever I'm in the mood.
> 
> Tomorrow I'll write something more cracky, as a lot of my stuff recently has been sappy cheese. Maybe I'll do something along the lines of my sexy poses fic (you know the one)


	5. Run (YohaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshiko drags Riko into something yet again.

Guilty Kiss practice. How fun. Riko usually spends her time trying to get the others to actually do something productive, but it proves to be in vain as they end up using her for some sort of wild ritual. "It's for research purposes," Mari tells her.

So why is she now sitting in the middle of a pentagram, fearing for her life as everything is pitch black with the exception of a few dim candles around her?

The door creaks open, and Yoshiko steps in, clad in a black dress with a cloak.

"Yocchan, get me out," Riko pleads, standing up.

"You volunteered to do this in the first place."

"But you didn't tell me what it was going to be for! And anyway, you said that you would use Ruby if I hadn't offered to do it instead!"

Yoshiko chuckles, attempting to sound dark and mysterious, but it just comes off as awkward. She walks forward, stopping just outside of the pentagram.

"Are you willing to subject yourself to me, little demon?"

Fidgeting with her fingers, Riko gulps. She looks down at her uniform, knowing full well that Dia would metaphorically kill her if she chickened out, therefore forcing Ruby to do it instead.

"I guess," she replies in a low whisper.

"That's good, because..." Yoshiko leans in, kissing Riko on the lips, "WE NEED TO RUN!"

"Wait, what?"

But Yoshiko grabs Riko's hand, dragging her away. She sprints out and down the stairs, which Hanamaru is heading down. She looks to them in surprise.

"What are you doing?" she asks, curious.

"No time for that! We need to GO!"

Yoshiko suddenly stops, and she swiftly lifts Riko up into her arms, almost toppling over with the sudden weight.

"YOCCHAN, PUT ME DOWN!"

"NO, I CAN'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND!"

And now it's turning into a scene straight from a tragedy movie. Just great. Riko sighs, but she doesn't protest.

As they're running, Riko shouts, "WHO ARE WE RUNNING FROM, EXACTLY?"

"Dia."

"Huh?"

Yoshiko sets Riko down on her feet. She puts her hands on her knees, panting.

"This morning, I kinda... stole some of her idol magazines because Mari wanted us to play a joke on her. I got caught, but then the bell rang for class, and now she's out for me."

Riko opens her mouth to reply, but suddenly loud footsteps sound against the flooring.

"Shit."

They dive under the table in the hallway, and Dia appears, her emerald eyes glowing with rage. She turns her head once, twice, and proceeds to walk away. Yoshiko lets out the deep breath that she had no idea she was holding, but then Dia turns around, walking straight towards them.

"What do we do?" Riko hisses. Yoshiko shakes her head.

"I found you, Yoshiko-san. You'd better be prepared for the consequences."

Letting out a squeak that surely doesn't sound like a fallen angel, Yoshiko gets out from under the table, Riko following her. They're both trembling with fear of the student council president.

However, before Dia can dish out her punishment, You and Kanan step out of the shadows (what shadows?), linking arms with her.

"Let's go! Let's go! Chika-chan's doing something again!" You says in a sing-song voice. They're easily able to steer Dia away from the other two with their strength.

You tosses a wink to Yoshiko and Riko, mouthing, "We saved you."

They disappear down the corridor. Once they're safely out of sight, Yoshiko almost cheers, but Riko holds a finger to her lips to silence her.

"I can't believe you dragged me into this," she scolds. She isn't that angry, just amused. Without a second thought, she kisses Yoshiko, just barely missing her lips.

"Count that as your punishment."

Mari appears just in time to witness Yoshiko's face burn as bright as a tomato. She smirks.

"Now, back to our ritual, my ladies. How about the two of you go in the pentagram together, this time? I'm sure it'll be steaming hot!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly had no idea what I was writing here, but sure... I hope this counts as fluff?
> 
> Next chapter: a request for somebody to die, oh boy


	6. Strength (No pairings)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan talks to Chika.

"Hi, Chika."

Kanan holds a diploma in her hand. Her hair is down for the occasion, and her uniform is without a single crease.

"Dia, Mari and I graduated today. Did you see it? You probably did." She chuckles softly to herself. Chika would never miss such an important event, as she loves cheering on her friends at whatever they do.

"We all sang a song. _Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteru Kai?_ We know that you love shining brighter than anything, so that's what we did."

Riko had composed it not so long ago. Kanan pitched in to help Hanamaru write the lyrics for that one.

"Riko and You even held hands without realising it. We all wore the bracelets she gave us all those months ago. I put yours on your desk, with all the signatures and doodles we all drew on it. Your desk is now like a rainbow!"

The breeze begins to blow, gently lifting Kanan's hair.

"I let my hair down today, especially as you told me that you loved seeing it like that."

She kneels down, fiddling with the grass in front of her. It's hard to stay composed whenever she visits, today making her even more teary-eyed because of her graduation.

"Did I tell you that we performed in Love Live, and won? Some of us were against performing without you, as it wouldn't be the same, but then we thought about what you would say. We chose to do it in the end, for you. The trophy is in your bedroom."

The lump in her throat is beginning to form. She loosens her tie slightly, allowing more air in.

"Ruby wouldn't stop crying after what had happened. She was the first one to break, which set the rest of us off, too. We tried holding it in, but in the end, we were all crying in the clubroom."

Kanan remembers that day as clear as ever. Chika was running late to practice. You tried calling her, but she got no response.

The news came not too long after they chose to start without her. Rain in August is a rarity, and it just so happened that there was a drunk driver right there and then.

"After we were told, club activities were stopped for a month until we finally decided to carry on, because that's what you'd want. But in that time..."

The month following it was the slowest one ever.

"You never left her room, not even to talk to us. She skipped school to stay at home. When I visited her, I saw that she was only staring out of the window, crying."

Most of the month was a blur to Kanan.

"Riko's grades slipped dramatically. She never focused. She didn't even touch the piano again until we started back up. The first years kept trying to lighten the mood, but they couldn't. Dia and Mari didn't like to talk about it at all."

Then, Kanan remembers, they decided to carry on with Love Live.

"It was a rough start. We agreed that there would be no centre for any of our songs; it was only right. You broke down during one of our performances at a festival. And as for me... I almost got hurt because I was working out so much to clear my mind. Silly, huh?"

That weak smile makes its way to her face. She sets down nine flowers, one for each member of Aqours, the biggest one being of a bright orange.

"But we did it. And I hope you're proud, Chika."

She silently stands up, beginning to walk away.

"We all love you."

Kanan leaves with the resolution to face whatever comes for her in the future. Because after all, she knows that Chika will always be by her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I'm strong, I only wrote this with a massive lump in my throat the entire time and I didn't even cry hAHAHAH
> 
> Anyway please send some requests as I don't have any right now! I'll try to make tomorrow's chapter cracky to make up for this one lmao


	7. Water Fight (HonoKotoUmi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Umi regrets everything. Maybe.

Umi really regrets agreeing to go to the beach with the rest of Muse. Not only is she the subject of many sea-related puns, courtesy of Honoka, but Kotori had also picked out a swimsuit that she'd rather not wear. She couldn't say no, however, because Kotori had made it herself and her heart was set on seeing her friend wearing it.

"Why is this so revealing?" she mutters to herself, pulling at it in a vain hope for it to miraculously cover her more. Apparently, everyone else is ignoring her to do their own thing. That is, at least, until Honoka attacks her with a water gun, giggling to herself.

"I got you real good, Umi-chan!" she calls, watching Umi wipe her face to get rid of the water. Is a relaxing day at the beach too much to ask?

In the distance, she sees Kotori and Rin having a sandcastle building competition, with Hanayo and Eli as eager spectators. Maki appears to be sunbathing on her own, and Nico and Nozomi are having their own water gun fight.

"So, what are you doing?" Honoka asks, getting closer.

"Not much. Maybe I'll go and join Maki and-"

Honoka pouts. "How boring! Come on, have some fun with us!" She grabs Umi's arm, pulling her up, before making an announcement to everybody else.

"Hey, you guys! We're all gonna have a water fight!" She pumps a fist in the air, and Umi tries to pull herself away. There's no way she'll be taking part in something so boisterous. No way.

But Honoka has other ideas. She rummages in her bag, pulling out a bright blue water gun. "This is for you," she says, handing it to Umi.

Eli is the first one to arrive, sighing as though she knew that Honoka would pull off something like this. "It can't hurt, right?" She carefully picks out her own gun, of a blue much lighter than Umi's one.

One by one, the girls start to crowd around and take their guns. Well, apart from Maki, who is forcefully dragged over by Nozomi.

"Let's split into teams! That'll be much more fun!"

They're all on board with Honoka's suggestion. The first team consists of her, Kotori and Hanayo. The second team is Eli, Maki and Nico, and the remaining three form the third team.

Umi is slightly annoyed that she's put with two of the pranksters in the group, but she doesn't protest out loud.

"And let's start!"

\---

Beaches aren't exactly the most exciting places to hold a water fight, so they decide to do it in the forest nearby. Umi decides to take control of her group.

"What's our strategy?" she whispers behind a tree.

Rin tilts her head. "Do we really need one? I thought we could just attack!"

"No, no. We need to outsmart our opponents, so that we'll have a better chance of winning!" Nozomi replies. She looks towards Umi, eyeing her up and down. "Actually, I have an idea..."

\---

The first people to meet are Kotori and Maki in an open area. Eli watches from the other side of a tiny stream, ready to ambush Kotori if she sees that Maki needs help. They both have their guns raised at each other.

"Are you ready, Nishikino-sama?" Kotori asks with a sickly sweet tone to her voice. It almost sends a chill through Maki's spine. Almost, because the ridiculous nickname ruins it for her.

"I didn't know you could be so threatening."

"There are hidden parts to everyone."

There's a click as Kotori shoots her gun, right when Maki opens her mouth to speak, and it completely drenches her.

"You really needed to have your guard up," Kotori states. She holds out a hand, which Maki tentatively takes.

"No hard feelings, right?"

Before Maki can reply, Eli jumps in, firing her gun. It's too quick for Kotori to dodge, and she simply stands there, water dripping down her swimsuit.

"Now we're even."

Smiling, Kotori drops to the floor in an act to play dead for comedy, something that is far beneath Maki to do. They watch as Eli walks on, mouthing an apology to them. What Eli fails to notice, however, is Nozomi standing silently behind a tree with her gun. It's easy to guess what happens next.

\---

Nico is almost too kind to let Hanayo slip past her. But she lightly grabs her wrist, flicking her water gun out of her hand, which leaves Hanayo defenceless.

"At least you'll be killed by the great Nico!" she tells her, holding the gun up.

Hanayo nods, just because she knows that there is no way out of this. The gun is shot, and the water lands right in the middle of her swimsuit.

When Hanayo drops to her knees to pretend to be dead, Nico catches the sight of somebody moving behind her. She whips around, immediately with her finger on the trigger.

"Nicocchi..."

Nozomi's arms snake around her waist, making Nico jump. She shoots blindly behind her, managing to get a lucky strike on Nozomi's thigh.

"I swear I'm gonna kill you some day..." she hisses.

"But you already did," Nozomi replies, smirking. With a fake scream, she falls forward onto the ground.

"That's two kills, now..." Nico mumbles to herself, unable to hide the grin on her face.

However, somebody leaps out from behind a bush, stopping Nico's train of thought.

"What did you just do to Nozomi-chan?!" Rin cries, slowly approaching her.

Nico tries to run. She's fast, but Rin is faster. She catches her in a tight hold, putting the gun up.

"This is my revenge," Rin says in an over-dramatic voice. She immediately shoots Nico, thus ending her kill streak.

"I did it!" Cheering in celebration, she skips on to try and look for Honoka, who appears to have gone missing.

The thing is, Umi can't see properly from her hiding spot. Upon seeing somebody entering the area that she's in, she shoots without a second thought, assuming that the intruder is an enemy. When in fact, it's Rin, who shrieks when the water hits her, quickly telling Umi that she just killed someone on her own team. Good going, Umi.

She freezes when she feels arms wrap around her chest.

"H- Honoka?" She stutters.

"You wouldn't mind it if I killed you, right? You didn't even want to play to begin with." Honoka grins.

Now this is a mistake. Umi gets extremely competitive if somebody mentions it to her, and now is no different. She abruptly stands up, turning to face her best friend. Honoka's eyes trail down to Umi's swimsuit, which has a large tear through the middle of it.

"Uh, Umi-chan..."

Umi resists the urge to cover it up. After all, this is all part of Nozomi's plan, tearing her own swimsuit to distract the enemies.

Not that anyone in Muse is perverted. With the exception of Nozomi herself, maybe.

Whilst Honoka is distracted with the tear, wondering if she should say something about it, Umi raises her gun.

Her hand shakes as she does so, embarrassed with the thought of shooting somebody whilst a part of her chest is completely exposed for Honoka's viewing pleasure. Despite this, she shuts her eyes in her best efforts to ignore it.

Eventually, she decides to shoot, and the gun slips out of her hand just as she does it. It flies upwards, spraying water all over the two of them. Realising her mistake, she mentally curses herself for letting her hand shake like that, otherwise she'd be the sole winner. But as it appears, they're both out at the same time, leaving no winner.

Nozomi has the whole thing recorded.

\---

"Sorry I messed up the swimsuit you made for me, Kotori," Umi says once they're all sitting back on the beach after the day's events. Kotori shakes her head in response, not seeming at all disappointed.

"I had no idea that you had it in you to be so bold, Umi-chan! Maybe you're just as bad as me!" Honoka pipes up beside her.

"No way! You're far worse!"

"Hehe, it's funny seeing you so flustered."

Honoka and Kotori exchange silent glances with each other, before leaning in and simultaneously kissing Umi on the cheeks. That's more than enough to make her entire body turn hot and want to crawl under the sand to stay in there forever.

She shoots up, looking down at her "friends". "You're- you're both so shameless!"

Ok, maybe she doesn't regret the whole day. She doesn't want to admit it, but maybe that kiss did feel nice. Maybe.

This was Nozomi's plan all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is long enough to be it's own standalone fic oh well
> 
> I want more requests please!


	8. Human (YohaRuby)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People change.

The news hits Yoshiko like a truck.

"You're not going to college here?" she chokes out, tears threatening to form in her eyes. Ruby shakes her head solemnly.

"I want to pursue fashion, so I'm going to America."

"Does your family approve of that?"

Ruby hesitates before she replies. "They did after a long talk. They said that I'll still have to tend to the family business if they ever need me."

"And Dia?" Yoshiko's heart is thumping. She doesn't want ruby to be taken away from her, one of the only people who actually cares and likes her fallen angel persona. One of the people who accepts her for what she is.

"Dia's alright with it. She says that I can do whatever makes me happy."

This shows how much Ruby and Dia have grown and changed over the past three years. From Dia leading Ruby's life for her, to allowing her to decide her future by herself, letting her stand on her own two feet for the first time. Yoshiko almost smiles at this, but the feeling of Ruby leaving her is too heavy on her mind.

She looks at Ruby now. She's gotten taller, and her hair has gotten longer, being let out of the two pigtails that symbolised her childlike nature. Perhaps Ruby is moving on to a future without Yoshiko, who still hasn't left her own past behind.

Yoshiko doesn't like to be considered weak. She hates the thought of being looked after by somebody else, somebody much stronger than her. However, she wants to be held by Ruby, who has gotten stronger over the years.

"I don't want you to go," she whispers. The tears overflow and she finds them running down her cheeks, as much as she tries to stop them.

She covers her face with her hands, which Ruby then gently pries away. She's got that warm smile again, the one that makes Yoshiko feel at home and comfortable.

"Are you afraid that I'll forget you?" Ruby asks, the answer already being clear to both of them. Nodding, Yoshiko tries to swallow the huge lump in her throat.

"Don't be silly. I love you. I always will. We can video call and message, and I'll come to visit whenever I can."

Yoshiko likes this certainty coming from Ruby, somebody who is usually one to be indecisive and not confident with her decisions. Maybe, just this once, she won't be as assertive as she usually is.

She comes to this conclusion when Ruby holds out her arms, and Yoshiko gladly hugs her, savouring every moment.

It's not weakness, it's being human.

"I'll look forward to seeing you over the holidays when you come back, little demon," Yoshiko says with her head still buried in Ruby's chest.

"Me too."

They stay like that for the rest of the night.

They make each other feel human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this satisfies YohaRuby angst with fluffy undertones... I really love this pairing a lot and it's super underrated,, I hope I did it justice with this short drabble!


	9. Cat (NicoPana, implied RinMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanayo comes home with a cat.

Nico is supposed to be having a peaceful day at home. That is, until her girlfriend bursts in with a small cat in her arms, and the peace is immediately broken. Nico leaps up from her seat, almost knocking over her cup of coffee on the table in front of her.

"Why do you have a cat?" she asks, pointing at it.

"It's kind of a long story." Hanayo lightly strokes its head before setting it down on the floor. It curiously walks over to Nico, weaving itself between her legs. She only looks down at it, moving her feet away tentatively.

"I have time for long stories..." Nico replies, heading to the kitchen to get another drink for Hanayo. "Wait, are we keeping it?!"

"I'm not sure yet. I've been thinking that we can keep it for a little while just to see how it goes, and then take it to a shelter if it becomes too much to handle. You're okay with that, right?"

"Yeah, I don't mind cats too much."

A comfortable silence falls over them as Nico turns on the kettle, and Hanayo gets out a basket with some old clothes that she never wears anymore, laying them inside. This cat has a lot of energy, surprisingly, judging by the way that it leaps onto the sofa to play with the remote control.

When Nico enters the room again with another warm cup of coffee, she settles back down on the sofa beside Hanayo.

"So, explain why you suddenly decided to bring home a cat," Nico prompts.

"Ah, well, Honoka-chan bought Maki-chan and Rin-chan a new cat as a present for them moving in together, without taking Rin-chan's allergies into account. To make a long story short, Maki-chan asked for me to take it instead and look after it, so here I am."

The cat leaps onto Nico's lap after this, who absentmindedly strokes its fur. It really does remind her of Rin; no wonder why Honoka picked this one out. She lifts it up, looking straight into its eyes, and then she turns to her girlfriend with her bright smile.

"I think I can get used to this, as a famous idol. This cat should think itself lucky that I'm it's owner!"

Hanayo giggles at this, shuffling closer to pat the cat. "Yeah, it really is. I'm lucky to have you, as well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No kissing this chapter because I wasn't really sure where to fit it in, but i still hope this one is enjoyable. Also nicopana is my second favourite LL ship just after rinmaki and this one is even more underrated,, please hmu if you love nicopana like me I'm thirsty


	10. Relive (NozoNico)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico invites Nozomi perform as a guest for her next concert.

"You want me to perform as a guest at your next concert?"

Nozomi and Nico are sitting in a restaurant together for a date, and Nico had just suggested something that took Nozomi off guard.

"Well, yeah. You do have experience from Muse, after all," Nico replies in a monotone voice, as though she can't care less about it. In reality, she's mentally pleading for her girlfriend to agree.

Nozomi hums in thought. She whips out her phone, scrolling through something. When she eventually tucks it back in her pocket, her eyes are sparkling.

"I'm up for it. I have no plans."

A smile tugs at the corners of Nico's mouth, and she starts to write in her fluffy notebook. It's a present that Nozomi gave to her a few weeks ago for no other reason than "I thought you'd like it." Which Nico does; it matches her personality.

"So, we'll have to run through rehearsals and I'll ask my wardrobe manager to get a costume ready for you. Maybe we should get some special purple glowsticks for the occasion... hmm..."

Nozomi leans forward, cupping her face in her hands and looking at the writing in the notebook. She likes seeing Nico getting excited for a performance so she can put on the best show yet. Nozomi is always there when her girlfriend returns from practice, waiting with a hot bath and mug of hot chocolate ready.

Nico pauses. "You'll be a big hit. Not as big as me, of course, but still big."

That's a compliment in its own way.

\---

They don't even have to discuss the song they'll use, as it's already clear to them. A duet they wrote back in high school for a duet and trio project that Muse made up, and the two of them were put together. This would be a nice callback of their school idol days, a reminiscence of one of the best years of their lives.

They practice the choreography, Nozomi being a bit rusty as she hasn't performed properly in years. She does manage to get back into the swing of it after not too long. Their practices end in affectionate hugs and kisses from Nozomi, which Nico eagerly returns.

Time passes quickly for them, until they are finally standing backstage. Nico goes on for her solo songs first, standing on a large stage in front of thousands being no problem to her. Her catchy tunes are encouraged by the chants of the audience, who light up the stadium in neon pink.

After a while of performing and Nozomi making her final adjustments to her outfit, Nico silences the crowd.

"We have a very special guest today. Some of you may recognise her, but I'll leave that for you to find out. Here is the cute Nozomi Toujou!"

She walks onto the stage with her head held high, standing beside Nico. It's all so refreshing for her to be up here after years of only watching concerts since she left high school. People in the crowd are whispering. They seem to recognise her, as shown by some of the glowsticks turning purple.

She doesn't have much time to think about this, though, as she and Nico take their starting positions, and the music starts up.

It's fun. She dances like she's back in high school, showing off their new song to the rest of Muse for the first time. The audience all have their glowsticks in the air, waving them about as some of them are familiar with that song from years ago.

They link arms for their final pose. Nozomi feels the heat and energy running through her, that makes her want to do so much more. She turns to Nico, beaming.

"Thank you for letting me perform tonight. I got to relive it all."

"No problem. It's an idol's job to make people smile, right?"

"Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll always stick by my headcanon that Nico grows up to become a super pro and famous idol. Also nozonico 10/10,, I love all third year ships the same and I really can't pick my favourite between them anymore


	11. Spying (RubyMaru, mentions of ChikaYou and KanaDiaMari)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Hanamaru ask their friends for advice.

"I want to confess to Hanamaru-chan."

This catches Chika and You off guard as they stare at their junior with widened eyes. You lowers her pencil that she's using to sketch costume designs, and Chika puts her sheet of paper with the lyrics on the table.

"That's pretty blunt coming from you, Ruby-chan," You says, shuffling forward in her chair. Ruby blushes bright red, fidgeting in her seat.

"I've loved her for a while, but then I saw that you two got together and I really want to try it now. Can you help me?"

Chika grins, wrapping an arm around You's shoulders. "Sure thing! But honestly, I just confessed to You-chan when we were in her bedroom watching TV, totally causally."

You rolls her eyes. "No you didn't. You made a big show of it when you insisted on us going out on my boat together." She winks at Ruby. "It was super romantic."

Faking a pout, Chika replies, "Now it's ruined! I wanted to make it out as though I did it without all the preparations, like, totally cool! But it was still worth doing it on the boat just to see you almost fall in the water."

Ruby laughs at her upperclassmen. It seems like they won't be much help to her.

\---

Hanamaru hasn't touched her bread at all yet, which surprises Kanan and Dia.

"What's wrong? You're usually eating by now," Dia asks in concern. Hanamaru shakes her head.

"It's nothing. I'm just thinking about how to confess to Ruby-chan. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

She looks up at them both with such innocent eyes after stating her thoughts that Kanan promptly chokes on her juice and Dia leans back in shock.

"I had- thanks, Dia- no idea that you would ever fall in love with anyone. Why now?" Kanan says when she's finally composed again after Dia slaps her back to stop her choking.

Hanamaru tilts her head, pointing at them both. "I saw you confess to Mari-san and each other and I realised that I liked Ruby-chan as well."

Luckily, Kanan's drink is only half raised to her lips otherwise she'd be choking all over again. Dia sits there in silence with her mouth hanging open in a very unladylike manner. How did Hanamaru manage to see the confession between the third years? Dia somehow forces a smile, her hand shaking as she tries to grab her bottle.

"Just... just tell her that you like her and don't worry too much." Under normal circumstances, Dia would be completely against the idea of her younger sister being in a relationship, but she knows that Hanamaru can do no harm, and she's actually a trustworthy partner. Except Dia can barely gather her thoughts about this as she's still reeling from the fact that Hanamaru saw her confession to Kanan and Mari.

"Oh, uh, thanks?"

Dia clears her throat, and Kanan sits up straight to try and get her focus back. "A-Anyway, let's talk about something else, now."

\---

"I can't believe we're doing this," Kanan says as she stands behind a pole with Dia, Chika and You.

"I need to make sure that Ruby will be okay!" Dia hisses.

Chika shushes them. "She's coming!"

They fall silent as they watch Ruby enter the park, having received a text from Hanamaru (with very poor grammar and a ton of emojis), to meet her at there. Ruby smiles to herself as she glances at her own phone; she got one for Hanamaru for her birthday, and she's still always excited to use it, despite barely managing to navigate her way around the interface. Even Yoshiko was close to hitting her head against a brick wall when trying to teach Hanamaru about her phone.

Hanamaru is waiting on the bench. She waves excitedly to Ruby, beckoning her over. They talk for a while, even though the girls behind the pole can't make out what they're saying. Then, both of their expressions oddly turn serious at the same time.

"I-" they utter out at the same time.

However, there's a sudden crash as Chika trips over her own feet, falling on top of Dia, giving away their hiding place. Ruby and Hanamaru turn their heads in that direction to witness Chika on top of the student council president, Kanan and You covering their mouths to keep quiet.

Chika quickly gets up, running her hand through her hair. "Sorry about that... you can continue now..." she laughs awkwardly, and Dia has to resist the urge to yell at her in frustration.

\---

Ruby and Hanamaru walk into the club room the next day, holding hands. The four girls that were spying on them the previous night left before they confessed, embarrassed that they were found out. They didn't know the results of the confession because of that, but it becomes obvious to them now.

Chika pumps a fist in the air in celebration, and Dia brings it back down.

Honestly, was it even worth worrying over them in the first place?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was out all day today and by the time I got back, I was really tired so take this poorly written fic as my drabble for tonight whoops
> 
> But you know what day is tomorrow for me? Chikas birthday? You know what that calls for? ChikaYou. I'm surprised I've gone this far into this drabble series without writing any proper chikayou yet


	12. Celebrations (ChikaYou)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls celebrate Chika's birthday.

Chika is used to going on You's boat. It's modest, small and comfy. You's father gave it to her for her 15th birthday after finding it abandoned at a scrapyard, and Chika and You spent an entire day cleaning and painting it in their favourite colours.

They go for regular trips on it, weather permitting. They sail out, but not too far. You steers it most of the time, with Chika helping out here and there. Once, You even gave Chika her captain's hat whilst she taught her how to steer.

These are all very pleasant memories in Chika's mind as her best friend drags her over to the boat on her seventeenth birthday.

"It's just a simple trip to celebrate. Nothing special," You had told her, dismissing the idea of anything fancy.

But as they climb on the boat, walking up to the front, they receive shouts of "Surprise!" and the rest of the Aqours members pop out of random places. You grins, eager to see Chika's reaction.

Before Chika can say anything, You pulls at the rope tying the boat to the dock, which loosens it, and they are free on the water. You grabs the steering wheel, focusing for a moment to make sure they get out safely, whilst everybody else crowds Chika and hands her their gifts. They're wrapped in brightly coloured paper, which are torn apart as Chika opens them one by one, joyfully thanking each and every one of them. Mari envelopes her in a large hug, saying "No need to get so teary-eyed!"

Even though her eyes aren't on the scene right now, You smiles to herself. It's just like Chika to get all soppy now of all times. When she is satisfied with the boat's position, she returns to the group, joining in.

They play a few games until Yoshiko suddenly pales, muttering that she gets seasick. Riko quickly takes her over to the side of the boat, and everybody else respectfully averts their eyes.

After a while, they go to sit at the back of the boat, watching the sun set in the distance. They're bathed in a warm orange glow that stretches out across the water, which glistens in the light. You stands up, asking Chika to follow her to the front of the boat.

It's silent for a few minutes as they look out across the water together, shoulders touching. Eventually, You turns to Chika.

"Are you enjoying this?"

Chika nods excitedly. "Yeah! I had no idea that you had planned this! Thanks so much, You-chan."

"Ah, well, I didn't really do that much."

You digs around in her back, before pulling out a silver necklace with a charm of a mikan on it. Chika gasps in surprise as her best friend clasps it around her neck. It's perfect.

You brings out another necklace, similar with the exception of the charm on it, which is a blue boat. Chika begs to put it on for her, and You happily obliges, turning around so Chika can secure the clasp.

"We're matching, now," Chika finally says when she steps away. "I love you so much, You-chan."

You smiles back. "I love you too, Chika-chan."

Chika shakes her head, taking a deep breath. There's something she's bothered by, maybe. You wonders if she's getting seasick, even though she's never had it before. Nothing can prepare her for the next few words that spill out of Chika's mouth.

"Not like that. I mean, I love you as more than a friend. Like, a girlfriend."

You is stunned into silence. Her eyes widen, and a blush forms across her cheeks. If she could, she would jump straight into the water from her embarrassment.

She does manage to find her voice again after a while. "I love you like that as well," she stutters out.

The mood is broken as Chika laughs. "You look so funny right now! I wish I could take a picture of it."

"No!"

"Just kidding." Chika leans in, kissing You on the lips. It tastes so sweet, like a bright summer day, if that could have a taste.

When they finally part, You has her hands on Chika's shoulder.

"Happy birthday, Chika-chan."

They are interrupted by Dia rushing towards them. "We're about to hit a rock!"

"Eh?!" You whips around to the steering wheel, turning the boat away. From the back of the boat she can hear Yoshiko muttering some kind of spell to herself in panic before leaning over the side again. She looks fondly at the rest of the group, taking a hold of Chika's hand.

"Come on. Let's make the most of your birthday!"

They kiss once more before going back to the others.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm super tired right now as I was out all day, but I couldn't miss Chika's birthday! And my first chikayou of this series, let's see how many more I can get in before September.


	13. No More September Rain (KanaChika)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summers are fleeting.

The sound of rain beats against her window.

Summer is always a season of passion, of escaping to new places and living new experiences. Chika can safely say that her summers are always full of these memories. The summer that just passed for her leaves a bittersweet feeling in her.

There won't be another summer like this.

It's her last summer spent with her girlfriend before she moves halfway across the world for college. Good things can never seem to last, can they? Maybe if she forgets this summer, she won't feel so hurt. Of course, she can't stop her lover moving away to follow her own dreams; it would be selfish if she does. Still, though, her heart aches at the thought of not having those warm lips on hers anymore, those arms wrapped around her waist as they float in the sea on a hot day.

Maybe she should be bolder, speak out her feelings and thoughts of loneliness that will overtake her come March. Didn't Honoka do the same thing to her best friend?

No, this is different. Kanan is graduating, of course they'll need to be separated. Chika doesn't want to think about it. She still has You, and Riko, and her underclassmen who are in her idol group. It just won't be the same without the third years, Kanan especially. The girl she's been with ever since she was a baby. It was always her, Kanan and You together. And then she got together with Kanan a month ago, at the beginning of summer when passions were heightened.

They only had that month of summer together before school starts again, and they'll be too wrapped up in school idol duties to advance their relationship. Why does summer have to be so short? Chika sighs as she rests her chin in her palm, staring out of the window. She had so much fun; she never wanted it to end.

She really believed a summer this fun would continue on forever.

She must look to the future, the possibility of winning Love Live before the third years graduate. She'll make sure they leave with a bang, on a high note. She'll make the most of every precious moment before March, when Kanan leaves after her graduation. Chika will enter her third year with a positive outlook. Maybe she can forget the stinging in her chest if she focuses enough.

It's still raining. It looks like there will be no more warm, bright days as August is over.

It was fun, right? This summer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never did a fic based on a song before, and what better way to do my first one than some angsty KanaChika seeing as the full versions of the duo and trio songs were just released? Also this chapter was super short but I wasn't completely sure what to write
> 
> Tomorrow will be a chapter for Honoka's birthday, likely featuring some HonoKotoUmi


	14. Bread (HonoKotoUmi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nozomi has a surprise in store for Honoka's birthday.

"Happy birthday!"

Cheers fill the clubroom as Honoka enters with her two best friends. There's a large cake on the table, with orange icing over it and her name in bright letters. Honoka barely even seems shocked; she just stands there giggling as Eli ushers her over to the cake. Nico turns the lights off, so the only lights in the room are the candles flickering in the darkness. (Eli clings onto the person nearest to her, who happens to be a slightly irritated Maki.)

Before Honoka is even given a chance to speak, the girls sing to her. She rubs her hands together in anticipation before the song ends and she's allowed to blow out the candles. Nozomi reminds her to make a wish as she does so.

Her wish is very clear in her mind.

Afterwards, most of the girls hand her their presents, with the exception of Nozomi, who just tells Honoka that she'll have to wait until later. Judging by Umi's worried expression, it doesn't seem to be a good thing.

Kotori had given her a charm bracelet, with charms of each of the initials of the second years in their corresponding colours. Umi's present was a cute keepsake box to store any valuable memories. Honoka had almost burst into tears at the sight of these presents, enveloping her friends in a tight hug.

School passes by quickly. Honoka receives presents from students in the school who are fans of Muse, and she happily accepts each and every one of them. Even Umi relaxes for once on scolding her about eating properly. After all, birthdays only come once a year.

Then, after school, Nozomi drags everyone over to the roof, where there's a very... interesting package waiting for them. It's covered in orange wrapping paper so Honoka can't tell what's inside.

"I hope it's not what I think it is..." Umi mutters to herself upon seeing this.

Her suspicions are confirmed when Nozomi helps Honoka to tear open the wrapping paper, revealing a lot of large stacks of bread. There's a mat beneath it all so it doesn't get dirty, and the bread is stacked slightly taller than the girls themselves.

"You wanted a mountain of bread, right, Honoka-chan?" Nozomi winks. Honoka's eyes light up in delight.

"Yeah! This is a dream come true!"

Umi sighs, knowing full well that Honoka wouldn't listen if she tried to stop her from eating all of it.

Nozomi clears her throat. "And if I remember correctly, you said you wanted to be buried in a mountain of bread?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Honoka turns her attention back to the small mountain in front of her.

"Let's do this."

\---

It's ten minutes later and somehow the girls have their leader buried under the bread. Umi and Maki hadn't participated, voicing their concerns loudly to the others.

"There's no harm in it, really," Kotori had said, trying to please everyone.

Now, Honoka is sighing in satisfaction as she lies beneath it all, her head poking out beneath the mound.

"It's no different to being buried in sand at the beach," Hanayo tells Maki, who still has her arms folded in a disapproving manner. Eventually, though, she does manage a warm smile.

"It's all for Honoka's birthday."

Nozomi glances over to Kotori and Umi. They are both standing closer to the bread, watching as Honoka munches on a bit. She grins slyly, not that anybody notices. Pointing over to them, she suggests, "You two should help her out later. I'm sure it'll be fun!"

Neither of them are given the opportunity to refuse, as Nozomi waves a hand to everyone else, asking them to come downstairs with her. As she exits, she throws a wink to Umi.

There's silence on the rooftop for a moment as Honoka continues to eat, oblivious to the fact that everyone else just left with the exception of her fellow second years. Kotori begins to take down some of the mountain, putting it in the cart that was left for them so they could take it home easily.

"I should have expected Nozomi to pull something like this..." Umi says. She starts to help out, as well.

Before they can get much done, however, Kotori squeaks in surprise as she accidentally bumps into the bread, leading to the whole mountain collapsing on top of both of them. Honoka sharply glances up at them. They are lying on the floor near her, covered in bread. Umi is the first to speak, her voice muffled.

"I can't believe this."

Kotori laughs awkwardly. "We'll get out of this soon enough."

Honoka nods, her mouth still full of bread. She swallows it, before taking another bite. She somehow manages to eat her way to her two friends who still haven't attempted to get up yet.

"Do you think we should get out now?" Kotori asks. She looks between them, expecting an answer.

Except Honoka doesn't answer. She moves in, kissing them both. It's so sweet and soft, and when she moves away, Umi's cheeks are bright pink.

"I wouldn't mind tasting you both," Honoka says, which makes Umi even more flustered.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE EVEN SAYING NOW?" she yells, trying to get up but slipping on some bread.

Honoka tilts her head. "Yeah, I do. Maybe we should be girlfriends so I can taste you two as much as I want!"

Umi lowers her head, trembling. This is so indecent.

\---

Honoka's wish was to be with Kotori and Umi forever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this one is so bad, especially for Honoka's birthday, but I felt like today was just a bad day for my writing ahaha. Tomorrow I'll write something else with Honoka to make up for this one


	15. Unfamiliar yet Familiar (Implied YouRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wakes up to the feeling that something is badly wrong.

You wakes up to the feeling that something is wrong, terribly wrong. She sits bolt upright in her strangely soft bed, taking in her unfamiliar surroundings.

_Was I kidnapped?_

She shakes her head roughly. No, that can't be true. Nothing hurts, and she's sure she went to bed as normal the night before. She runs a hand through her long hair.

_Wait a minute? Long?_

You begins to panic, jumping out of bed and almost knocking over a bedside cabinet that she doesn't have in her own room. Long strands of a deep red colour fall down her back, swaying as she makes her way to a mirror. And what she receives there is a shock. She's somebody completely different. She has soft golden eyes, different to her sparkling blue ones that people have always complimented. She's taller, ever so slightly, and she's got smooth hands and fingers, a perfect fit for a musical instrument.

"What's going on?" She whispers to herself.

The door slamming open interrupts You. She jumps, whirling around to face the person who has just entered. She's also got similar hair and eyes. You infers that she must be her mother.

"Riko, come down for breakfast. You're going to be late."

"Y-yes?" You says in an unsure tone. _Riko?_

Dismissing this as some sort of weird dream, she heads down and has breakfast, trying to act normally. However, she's nervous. Perhaps even more nervous than she was at any of her swimming competitions. It feels too real to be a dream, but there can't be any other explanation for it, right?

"It's your last day of school today before you enter your second year and move to Uranohoshi. You'll need to say goodbye to all of your friends, unless you're planning to meet them over the holiday before we move."

You freezes. Uranohoshi is the name of the school that she's currently attending, in Uchiura. This must be a dream. She nods dumbly, not listening to any of the woman's instructions about what to do at school today.

She leaves the house with a sudden realisation. She has no idea where her school is. Judging by the tall buildings and skyscrapers and busy roads, she guesses that she's in a large city. Tokyo, maybe?

_Tokyo_... You had been there with Chika a few weeks ago on a school trip. That was when Chika found a new passion for herself, and she vowed to You that she'd take it seriously once the new school year began. She chuckles to herself. Chika will probably give up before too long, when the demands of being a school idol are too much for her. But there's no telling what will happen until she actually starts the club in April.

Turning her attention back to the city before her, You takes a deep breath, heading out to the school, wherever that is. She actually just stands around until she finds a few girls wearing the same deep blue school uniform as her, and she follows them discreetly until she finally arrives.

_Otonokizaka_? You recognises the school as the one that Chika has been so eagerly talking about for the last few weeks, ever since they went to Tokyo. Apparently, it's the home of the former school idol group, Muse. It seems like this Riko person goes here too.

At this point, You isn't even feeling strange anymore. She's just taking it in her stride, like she does most things. It's not in her nature to dwell on anything, preferring to rush straight in. As weird as this situation is, she can't help but feel a little excited. She's always wanted to live in the city, just to see what it'd be like. Her home town is nice, but sometimes You just wants to escape to the city with bright lights and sounds that never quieten; the signs of a constantly moving place.

She'll figure this out later. For now though, she'll have some fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I actually didn't write this today, it's really a WIP that I wrote about two weeks ago when I was bored and had just finished watching Your Name. The reason why this one wasn't written today is because I just had a long day on a six hour train journey back from a holiday, spent two hours unpacking once I got back, and now it's super late and I'm really tired ahaha. Tomorrow it'll go back to normal...
> 
> Also thanks for over 1000 hits! I greatly appreciate it and it's only been two weeks!


	16. Games (platonic HonoEli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honoka invites Eli over to her house.

"Can you please explain to me why you brought me over here to play video games with you?" Eli asks Honoka, sitting in her bedroom after school one day. Honoka is switching on her console, hitting the button a few times to make sure it's on properly. She gets out some food from beneath her bed, putting it in front of them.

"Well, I usually ask Rin-chan and Nico-chan to play with me, but they're busy today. I thought I could ask you instead!"

"But-" Eli begins, but she is cut off by the title screen popping up. There are bright colours and calming music that Honoka seems to ignore as she chooses "Play" with no hesitation. She turns to Eli.

"You do know how to play, right?"

This is what Eli was going to tell her. She had barely even touched a gaming console before, let alone played on it. She shakes her head, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. Honoka seems surprised for a moment, but she quickly regains her composure. She shuffles in closer.

"I'll teach you!"

If there's anything that Eli knows about Honoka, it's that she doesn't have much patience and prefers to go straight into things.

"You don't have to, really-" she tries to dismiss, but Honoka is determined to teach her.

"Come on! It'll be fun!"

Looking at her pleading expression, Eli realises that she just can't say no to her underclassman. She looks back to the TV screen. There can't be any harm in a simple game, right?

"Fine. Just go slowly with me, ok?"

Honoka pumps a fist in the air in celebration. "Yay! We'll try to defeat a boss first!"

"What?" That doesn't sound like a good thing.

\---

Honoka is really getting into it. Her character is whipping around on the screen, firing various missiles at the boss that tries to get closer to her. Eli, on the other hand, is mashing her buttons in a desperate attempt to run away. Her own character has armour that Honoka lent her, and she must admit that she looks pretty badass in it. However, there's really no point in admiring how her character looks if she's getting constantly destroyed by the boss every few seconds. She tries to switch weapons. No, wait, that's a sword, there's no way she can use close range weapons on it.

Honoka glances over to her to see how she's doing, and she immediately has to hold in her laugh when she sees how out of control Eli is. She's hitting buttons with no real purpose, but her attention is so laser focused on the screen that Honoka doesn't say anything.

The boss is eventually defeated, but only because Honoka had to do most of the work herself, weirdly enough for her. It's almost funny how their roles are flipped over when playing a video game. It sure is a different experience watching the former student council president herself not having any idea what to do for once.

"I told you to go slowly! I didn't expect you to bring out whatever that monster was!" Eli complains once Honoka has collected all her loot. Her fingers are cramped up, but there's still satisfaction in knowing that the boss was killed, even if she did nothing to help.

In fact, she can probably admit that she was just a hindrance. Honoka doesn't pay much mind to this, though.

"I'm sorry about that! I just got really fired up! How about killing some easy monsters now?" she suggests, bringing the map up on screen.

"No," Eli suddenly says, making Honoka jump. "I want to try fighting that thing again. You can tell me what to do." She grins, getting comfortable once again.

"Really?" Honoka's eyes light up. Exiting the map, they go back down to the cave to summon the boss again. "Let's do this!"

\---

In the end, Eli was still fairly bad at it, but Honoka had told her that she improved a lot. Maybe she could go to join her with Rin and Nico when they play together tomorrow, it will surely be interesting.

And maybe she'll go to the games shop to pick up a console of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can totally see Eli having no idea what she's doing when she plays video games. Also one of my favourite things is the idiot trio just being best bros,, this trio really needs more love. I'll probably write a chapter with them sometime soon... maybe a sequel to this one?


	17. Bye Bye Yesterday (KanaYou)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Kanan think about their time left together.

There's a soft splash as You dives into the water, letting herself sink further and further. Light pours in through the surface, and You raises her hand to try to grab it, even though there's no point. There's another splash when Kanan jumps in beside her. They stay there in silence for a while until they decide to resurface, pulling their snorkels up when their heads are finally above the water. You smiles wordlessly to Kanan.

"Did you enjoy that?" Kanan eventually asks. You nods, still wearing that bright smile.

"Yeah... it felt like all my worries were floating away. I really love the water, Kanan-chan!"

"I'm glad to hear that."

They climb onto the boat, wiping their faces with their towels. They begin to head back to the pier, so they can get changed out of their wetsuits.

"I love Aqours as well," You suddenly says when they are almost there. Kanan turns to her.

"I do, too."

You's smile is now becoming slightly strained as she shuffles from foot to foot, her head turned down to the floor. Kanan puts a hand on her shoulder, ready to listen to whatever she has to say. She knows what's coming next. It's December, after all.

"I wish we could continue being school idols forever. I'll miss this, and I'll miss you, and the other third years." You gives a quiet laugh. "I only joined at first so I could do something together with Chika-chan. But now, I've gotten really fond of it. It's so much more than just supporting a friend."

Her voice begins to crack at the end. Kanan pulls her into a hug, stroking her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. She softly kisses her head as she too tries to hold back the tears. Who knew that Kanan would come to love Aqours so much after being strongly opposed to it at first?

"I don't want you to graduate. I want to continue living this year forever," You whispers through her tears. Luckily their wetsuits are already wet. She buries her head deeper into Kanan's chest.

Nobody sees this side of You. She's always so eager to rush into things with a smile that some of the girls even forget she has her emotional attachment to the group as well. To Kanan, You is one of the strongest people she knows.

That's why Kanan doesn't try to stop the tears spilling from her own eyes as they stand on the boat together, which sways with the waves. She holds You tightly as they both sob quietly into each other. They wouldn't change this year for the world.

They've still got the final Love Live competition to work towards. They've still got three more months until the third years graduate. But the time will pass in a flash, and before they know it, the third years will be holding their diplomas. The girls know this, but nobody has been brace enough to say it out loud yet.

Muse had to go through this too, right? Chika had told them this. It doesn't make the pain any less worse, though.

Soon, they'll have to say goodbye to the school idol life with the nine of them as Aqours. The second and first years still want to continue being idols next year, but they won't be Aqours anymore. That bond they have is too precious.

The sun begins to set behind them. When they eventually part, they look at the sun, still holding hands. They've got a lot more tomorrows to look forward to before the inevitable ending, and they'll make the most of it.

They'll continue to shine bright until the very end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you mean: more angsty graduation stuff
> 
> Okok I'll try and write something a lot more lighthearted tomorrow. I don't want this to become too depressing now ahaha


	18. Fate (HonoChika)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An online friendship proves to be very lucky for Chika and the rest of Aqours.

Who would have known that a few chats over the internet would have turned out to bring such a fateful meeting? Chika certainly didn't. As Aqours stand face-to-face with Muse in the busy streets of Tokyo, all she can do is gawp at them like a dying fish until Riko tells her to close her mouth.

"You- You're..." Chika eventually stutters when she manages to find her voice again. It's not the best way to make a good first impression, but Dia and Ruby are doing the same thing as her. Mari chuckles to herself, quickly snapping a picture of Dia's expression.

"Are you okay? I said I'd bring my friends to meet you!" Honoka says, looking a bit confused. Eli sighs.

"Honoka, I think that's the least of her worries. Couldn't you have told her who we were _before_ meeting?"

It was through a social networking app that Honoka and Chika met. Neither of them had even told each other their names yet, but, being the kind to not care about details like that, they chose to meet up in Tokyo a couple of months after becoming friends on the internet. They both came with the promise of bringing along their friends, which resulted in this current situation. Umi taps her feet impatiently.

"Are you telling me that you went into this blind? They could have been serial killers for all we know!" Her face is getting redder by the second, and Kotori tries to calm her down.

"We're lucky they aren't..." Maki points out. She turns to Hanayo. "Honoka said they're idols, right? You should recognise them."

This makes Aqours pay attention. All eyes are on Hanayo, who nods her head before speaking. "They're participating in the current Love Live as candidates to win. Personally, I'm rooting for them."

Kanan claps a hand over Dia's mouth to stop her screaming. Hanamaru does the same for Ruby.

\---

Chika is having a hard time staying composed in front of her idol. Literally. She and Honoka walk around the shops like they intended, trying to find the silliest gifts they can. To be truthful, Chika thought it would be much more daunting being with the person she had looked up to for so long. However, as they talk even more about the stupidest subjects, she realises that Honoka has a lot of similarities to her. Each girl had split up in their own little groups, these two naturally going off together.

They stop off in a cafe along the way. Honoka orders the biggest cake on the menu, grinning when it arrives.

"I love doing this. We need to eat as much of the cake as possible without giving up!" she states with her eyes sparkling in delight. They pick up their forks at the same time.

"Three... two... one... GO!"

\---

Meanwhile, Dia has no idea how she hasn't burst into tears yet being with Eli. It must be because Riko and Nozomi are also walking around with them. There's no way she can cry in such an undignified manner in front of an underclassman, not that Riko would take much notice.

"Oh! And I also loved your centre in Angelic Angel! You were such a goddess up on stage!" Dia blabbers to Eli, barely unable to stop talking.

"Really? But then again, I did enjoy that whole experience in New York," Eli replies with a smile. She's either used to fans still pestering her after five years, or she genuinely finds Dia interesting. Dia hopes it's the latter.

"This is a side of Dia-san we don't see too often," Riko offhandedly points out to Nozomi, walking a few steps behind. She's not too bothered by meeting Muse, mostly because she hadn't been a diehard fan of them like Dia, Chika or Ruby.

From her peripheral vision, Riko spots Ruby with tears glimmering in her eyes as she talks to Hanayo, with Maki, Rin and You standing nearby.

\---

It's the end of the day, and they've got to say goodbye. They each hug each other as the sun begins to set, saying they've had fun.

"I'd love to meet again soon!" Honoka tells Chika, who freezes after this sudden statement.

"Really? You really want that?" Chika replies, unable to comprehend what was just said.

"Yeah! I had so much fun with you guys!" Honoka leans in closer to Chika. "Maybe we can also do something one day, just the two of us!"

Chika's eyes light up, and she hugs Honoka tight. "Thank you!"

When they finally part, they turn around to witness Dia sobbing into Eli's chest. Nozomi and Mari share a laugh at this.

The rest of Aqours expects Dia to never shut up about this for the next few weeks. They're entirely right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written a crossover between the two groups,, but this was interesting to write!


	19. Games pt2 (platonic idiot trio + Eli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More videos games this time, with Nico and Rin added into the mix.

"And then Eli-chan's character kept dying! I had to give her so many healing items and potions so she wouldn't die so much!" Honoka whisper-shouts to Nico and Rin in the clubroom. Nico raises an eyebrow.

"She can hear you," she deadpans, looking straight at Eli. Honoka jumps, whirling around to face her. She waves her hands around, trying to search for an excuse.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Oh, right, do you wanna join us after school to play some more?" Honoka asks Eli. Looking at her pleading expression, Eli knows that's she won't be able to refuse. She agrees with a sigh.

"Ok, but no more super difficult boss fights. Got it?" She eyes the three of them up, and they hastily nod. Honoka and Rin share a high-five.

\---

_They're so quick_ , Eli thinks as she watches their thumbs press each button with ease, not even looking at them as they keep their focus on the TV screen. She's so engrossed in their movements that she forgets she's even meant to be playing with them. At least, until Honoka prods her in the shoulder.

"You're gonna get killed!" Honoka yells, snatching the controller from her to quickly move her character away from the monster. She sighs with relief when she gets far enough.

"Sorry about that." She hands the controller back to Eli, turning her attention once more to the TV screen. Eli narrows her eyes, trying her best to mimic the moves that the other three are doing, but failing miserably. She even manages to accidentally push Rin into a pool of lava at one point. None of them have any idea how she pulled that off.

Sighing, Nico eventually tosses a sword to Eli. It's big, and she thinks she can't handle something so shiny and powerful.

"Whatever you do, don't throw it away. I worked hard to get that sword," Nico says, casting a sideways glance towards Eli, who nods dumbly. Giving it a few practice swings, she realises just how cool it is. Cool, just like her.

Ok, she mentally slaps herself for just thinking that she's cool so honestly. That's not cool at all.

"By the way, Eli-chan, swinging your sword around pointlessly does _not_ make you look very cool," Rin points out casually as her character lands a critical hit.

Eli gets her own character ready for a big attack. So big that she'll be able to impress the three of them with her skills. She isn't nicknamed _cool and clever_ for nothing, right?

With a deep breath, she rushes in, jumping on top of the monster. Except that there's one tiny problem. Maybe that's an understatement. She only realises this as her character lands, immediately getting hit and then killed.

She forgot to use her sword.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we just make this a series? These three teaching Eli how to play video games like this because she's probably never even touched a gaming console before
> 
> Honestly, beneath all her coolness she's just a massive dork


	20. Interactions (RinMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an AU where Muse never formed and the first years are now third years, Maki finally works up the courage to talk to the captain of the track team.

"N- Nishikino-senpai!" Three girls call after Maki as she walks down the hallway to her class. She stops, turning her head slightly to acknowledge them.

"Yes?" she prompts, cold eyes glaring at them. Really, she doesn't have the time for this.

The girls squeal, blushing bright pink before replying. "We just wanted to tell you to have a good day!" It's a wonder that they don't end up stuttering.

Maki gives them a monotonous thanks before going to her classroom. She sets her bag down with a sigh, getting out her books that are needed for the day. Once done, she sits, resting her chin in her palm. She had never asked to be so popular, with girls constantly circling around her and handing her gifts. There isn't even any way to avoid it; getting the highest grades mean that she can't simply fade into the background, and her good looks and musical talent only emphasise this.

She finds her eyes wandering to a familiar desk at the back of the room that she stares at so often when she is bored. The girl who sits there hasn't arrived yet, so it's safe for Maki to keep looking at it, even if it is boring without its occupant there.

Then, just another minute before the bell rings, the door slides open and the girl finally strolls in. She's got short ginger hair and sparkling chartreuse eyes. The captain of the track team. Rin Hoshizora.

\---

On her way back home that afternoon, Maki takes a detour around the sports field. Which, coincidentally, the track team is using right now as they run laps around it. Maybe not so coincidentally as they use this place all the time. Still, though, Maki tries to deny to herself that she came just so she could watch Rin without being too obvious.

Upon spotting her, Rin slows down, flashing a grin to her, before picking her pace back up. Maki's eyes follow her as she finishes her current lap, blowing the whistle when she is done to tell the other girls to have a break before they continue. Then, Rin comes jogging towards her, and she has to resist the urge to walk away right there. She can't lose her cool now.

Stopping in front of the gate separating the two, Rin smiles again.

"Is Miss Popular paying a visit to the track team for once?" she teases. "It's not like you to be hanging around here."

Maki hesitates before she replies, being careful in her choice of words so she wouldn't sound like a crazy stalker. "I just wanted to take a different route home for a change. Also, you know my name, so stop calling me Miss Popular."

Rin laughs. "You're cute when you're flustered, y'know. I saw that pause before you replied. Anyway, if you were just walking home, why were you going so slowly past here? Interested in joining us?" She fumbles around in her pocket for a pen before Maki even has the chance to speak. When she doesn't find one, she sighs, smiling apologetically.

"I never said I was interested. I just wanted to see you and-" _Crap_. Maki has never been too good at talking to people, and the one time she does try to start a conversation, she messes it up completely. She slaps her hand over her mouth before she can say anything else embarrassing.

Rin tilts her head to the side, confused. "You wanted to see me? We're in the same class! We see each other every day."

"No! Not like that! I mean-"

"Oh, as friends, right?" Rin claps her hands together excitedly. "I never thought somebody as popular as you would want to be friends with someone like me. How about we go to the cafe, then? There's a super cool new recipe I wanna try!"

Maki feels the emotional punch in her stomach at the word _friends_. Wait, she can't be expecting a relationship so soon when this is the first time they're talking properly, right? How do people normally do this?

"Uh, ok... I guess. I mean, if you don't want to, then-"

She's cut off when Rin steps closer to the fence. "It's settled! I look forward to meeting you there, Nishikino-san!"

She runs off to the rest of the group before Maki can ask to call her by her first name. Well, it's only the beginning. Maybe Rin will be less dense by the time they've hung out a little. If she can still stand her by then.

As Maki walks back home with a small smile, she suddenly realises something.

They didn't arrange a meeting time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might continue this because it was pretty fun to write and there's been a disturbing lack of rinmaki content lately... it sucks when the otp isnt a main pairing or anything


	21. Given Up (KanaChikaYou???)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chika doesn't want to go back.

"It's not fair!"

These words echo in the hallways. There's a chill that goes down You's spine, but she doesn't quite know why.

"I can't do this anymore! I give up!"

She tries to walk away, but You grabs her arm, turning her to face her. You's expression is stern, but she tries to smile at her best friend as she speaks.

"It was just a small incident, nothing major!"

Chika averts her eyes, trying to free her wrist from You's grasp. It's hard though, she's got a grip of steel. The tears fill her eyes again that she tries so desperately to blink back, and You takes her other hand before she can wipe them away.

"You can carry on, Chika-chan. I don't want to see you give up over this," she tries to say, but her words get stuck in her throat as she feels her voice cracking from her own tears. Her grip momentarily loosens, which gives Chika enough time to pull herself away. You can't do anything but stare on after her.

\---

They're both at the Matsuura's diving shop, helping them to tidy up. It's silent the whole time, and Kanan watches them with a close eye. She eventually is the one to break the silence.

"Are you two gonna tell me what happened or what?" she asks, tapping her feet. She already got a sense of the situation from what she heard at school, but she wants the two to tell her in person. Rumours are quick to spread, especially to a third-year like Kanan.

Chika clearly doesn't intend on speaking. Her eyes are cast down to the floor, and her fists are clenched. It's You to decides to answer, despite being more than a little hesitant.

"She's quitting the diving club," she says.

You remembers the start of their first year when she told Chika she would be in the diving club, and Chika refused to join her. After watching practices a lot during that year, Chika finally chose to join the club herself in their second year.

It had gone swimmingly (no pun intended) at first. Chika had already been somewhat decent at diving due to being around You and Kanan all the time, the two eager divers, and she found it fun.

However, one thing led to another, and now Chika isn't in the club anymore. She had already given her resignation slip to the teacher.

Kanan had already heard this from the rumours, so she tries to get Chika herself to open up to her.

"Is it because of what happened?" she questions softly. Chika nods, still not looking up. Kanan glances over to You, who still has a very slight limp, before turning back to Chika. She holds her arms out, knowing that she must need some kind of reassurance, and Chika runs into them, burying her head in her chest.

"I'm so sorry! I decided to do something to make more of a name for myself for a change, and completely screwed it up! I can't go back. I still give up."

Stroking her head, Kanan only imagines how bad she must feel. Maybe, by the time everything has blown over, Chika will want to find something else she enjoys. Maybe she'll want to go back to diving. Kanan remembers that Dia suggested to form an idol club with Mari once they enter highschool. She can ask Chika if she wants to join once she begins highschool, as well. It would be fun.

For now though, both Kanan and You know that Chika has given up on diving, and it's unlikely she'll return any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyheyhey here's my headcanon on the whole "giving up" thing. I'd say that Chika was into something before aqours, but there might have been some kind of incident (implied here that she might have accidentally injured You) that made her quit. I really hope we get backstory for Chika in season 2,, there's the "giving up" thing that could have a story behind it, as well as the way that chikas mother spoke to her in ep13?? Who knows, I just really love Chika Takami 
> 
> ALSO GUESS WHO PULLED ON BANDORI THIS MORNING AND GOT THE NEW SAAYA??? She's my best bandori girl and I'd saved 25k gems for her and she finally came home with 7.5k left!!!!!!!!


	22. Studying (KanaDiaMari)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How can Kanan and Dia expect to study in peace with Mari around?

Perhaps it was a bad idea for Dia to invite Mari to the library with her and Kanan. She's just so loud.

"And then, Dia, guess what?" Mari says with a teasing expression on her face. Dia stands up, slamming her book down on her table.

"What?" she hisses, trying her hardest not to shout.

"I said, 'It's joke!'" Mari roars with laughter after this, clutching her stomach. Kanan looks just about ready to retreat beneath the table.

"I'll teach you a _joke_."

"Guys, can you just quieten down?" Kanan asks, holding her book up in front of her face. It's upside-down, but Dia chooses not to point this out, instead sending a warning glance to Mari. Study sessions usually end up like this, but Dia still invites Mari every time otherwise she has no idea what else Mari would pull. Trying to study with the first and second years are bad enough. Chika constantly distracts You and Riko, and Yoshiko is basically a lost cause at this point.

Except Dia doesn't like giving up. She won't give up with Mari, either. With a sigh, she grabs Mari's book, flipping through the pages to have a look at her notes. They're all neat and tidy with the exception of a couple of dumb doodles here and there, but it's good enough for her. Dia knows that Mari gets top grades without studying, anyway. Studying like this is unneeded for her.

_She's so lucky,_ Dia thinks enviously.

As for Kanan, well, her grades aren't the best right now. Missing out on a lot of school clearly has had an impact on her exam results. She doesn't seem to worry about this, saying that she'll catch up soon enough,

Mari smirks. "I'll behave better if you two give me a kiss."

"What?" Kanan is now crawling beneath the table and Dia doesn't stop her. She would, too, if Mari didn't have such an annoying and mocking smile.

"You know you want to. What sort of girlfriends would we be if we didn't kiss frequently to give each other motivation?"

"Normal ones," Dia mutters under her breath. Kanan peeps over the table, looking over to Dia.

"It can't hurt, right? She'll be quiet if we just kiss her," she points out.

Taking a good look around the library to make sure nobody is watching, Dia nods, gulping. "If you insist."

The two of them get closer to Mari, quickly pecking her on each cheek. She giggles, moving around in her seat.

"See, it wasn't that hard. How about the lips now?"

They obey, their studying long forgotten. Mari really does have them wrapped around her little finger, not that they mind. Kanan notices that even Dia is enjoying this, studying completely out of her mind at the moment.

The last thing Hanamaru expects to see when she walks into the library to swap books is her seniors engaged in a makeout session in the corner of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I'm over 20 chapters in and yet this is the first time I've properly written Mari in this series whoops


	23. Kitchen Disaster (MakiRinPana)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin thinks it's a good idea to leave Maki to do the cooking.

"You don't even know how to use a microwave, Maki-chan?" Rin asks as the two of them stand in the kitchen. Maki shakes her head slowly, embarrassed at herself.

Rin digs around in the cupboard before pulling out some microwaveable ramen. She hands it to Maki, who only stares at it for a few seconds.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she says, looking back up at Rin.

"Make it, duh! The instructions are on the back!"

Maki reads the instructions carefully before turning back to the microwave. How should she know what knob to turn for the time? What about all these buttons? This might be the first time she actually regrets having a chef, as she's making a fool of herself in front of the person who is usually the one to do something dumb.

She can't ask Hanayo, either. That's the whole reason they're doing this. Hanayo is out shopping for some groceries for them.

After deciding that she should just wing it, Maki shoves the packet in the microwave without unwrapping it first. Rin watches on with a look of simultaneous horror and amusement.

"Maki-chan can't cook. How _cute_ ," she teases.

"Shut up!"

Maki punches buttons and turns the knob up to the top. The food begins to spin slowly in the microwave. It looks fine, right?

The phone begins to ring before either of them can speak. It's Hanayo. Rin picks it up, putting the phone on loudspeaker.

"Hiya, Kayo-chin."

"Hi, Rin-chan. I was just wondering if you and Maki-chan wouldn't mind if I bought some more rice. They've got a special offer on it right now!"

Maki wants to advise against buying a lot more, but she simply can't say no. Watching Hanayo being separated from rice is like a mother being separated from her child. Maki wouldn't wish to go through something like that.

"It's fine! Also, guess what? Maki-chan doesn't even know how to use a microwave. She's cooking the ramen completely wrong," Rin replies.

There's silence for a moment until Hanayo talks again. "I'll teach her then. I'm sure you won't mind that, right, Maki-chan?" She pauses. "Just make sure you don't burn the place down."

"Gotcha." Rin grins, glancing at Maki, who's quickly turning red.

Suddenly, the room fills with a burning smell. They both scrunch their noses up in disgust, immediately turning to the microwave. Oh no.

"Crap!" Maki's already running over to it, opening the door and letting the smoke pour out. She tries to take out the packet, only burning her fingertips in the process. The packet is melting into the microwave, some of the ramen inside it being charred black.

Rin roars with laughter, clutching her stomach as she watches Maki panic over the food.

"Help me out here!" Maki shouts.

They've both almost forgotten that Hanayo is still on the phone.

"What's going on? Did you burn the food?" she asks with her voice raised in concern.

"Yep. Or, more accurately, Maki-chan did," Rin answers. Maki sighs.

"It's not entirely my fault! You could have offered to make it instead!"

"But I wanted to teach you how to cook!"

Finally, with the help of Rin, Maki gets the remains of their food out. The microwave is pretty much damaged at this point, and the smoke still fills the room. Somehow they managed to shatter a couple of glasses during all of this. The kitchen is a mess now.

"I'll be home right away!" Hanayo says, and the phone cuts off.

Neither of the girls standing in the kitchen are particularly looking forward to cleaning this up, so Rin suggests that they just put a couple of slices of toast in the toaster for now that they can eat. You would think she would have learned from allowing Maki to make the food, but apparently not.

Hanayo returns home less than twenty minutes later to be greeted with the sight of her girlfriends standing in a kitchen that looks like a car just rammed into it. She makes a mental reminder not to use their home when she teaches Maki how to cook. Another situation like this really isn't wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my first year children so much, we need more of them as a relationship


	24. Inspiration (EliUmi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Umi is having a hard time coming up with song lyrics.

Why is writing lyrics so hard? Umi thought that going outside to the park and sitting under the tree would provide her with the perfect inspiration, but her mind is currently drawing a blank. She taps on the paper with her pen, trying to find a way to use any words that come to mind.

Maybe she should ask Nozomi for help. Nozomi usually helps her when she's unsure what to write, but this is supposed to be a love song. Asking others for help to write a love song is so shameless and embarrassing. She'd rather not even write a love song in the first place, but Nozomi and Rin had insisted.

Hearing some footsteps coming closer, Umi looks up to see a familiar figure with blonde hair walking towards her.

"Eli? What are you doing here?" she asks, checking to see if anyone else is with her. It seems like she's alone.

"I just wanted to take a walk. I can't waste summer days like this inside." Eli sits beside her, peering over at her blank notebook. "Writing lyrics?"

Umi sighs. "That's what I'm supposed to be doing, but I've got no inspiration."

Eli is silent for a moment as she looks around them. The sun is out, shining brightly, and the tree shades them from the light. There are many flowers blooming and children playing on the swings and slides. This should be a good place for Umi to get plenty of inspiration for her lyrics.

"What are you writing about that makes it so hard to think of anything?" Eli asks out loud. Umi promptly turns red, facing away from her.

"It's... It's a l-love song..." she stutters, unable to look Eli in the eye.

"Really? Who's pressuring you to write one?"

"Nozomi and Rin. They think it'll be fun. Why would writing a song about something so indecent be _fun_? It's beyond me."

With a soft smile, Eli suggests, "Why don't you let me help? I might be able to think of something?"

Umi stares at her for a moment. Eli, helping to write a love song? Then again, she is the type of person to open her locker at school and find a million letters falling out. She really is cool and clever.

"If it's okay with you. I mean, I-"

Putting a finger up to her lips to silence her, Eli winks. _And here is a prime example of her being so cool._

"This might help you," she whispers in a low tone before moving in to kiss Umi on the lips.

Wait. Kissing? Umi is so shocked that she doesn't move away, or try to protest against it. She just stays frozen as she feels those soft lips against hers, seeming so effortless. Her mind is a mess of emotions. She has no idea what to think. Is she even thinking?

When Eli finally moves away, she's smirking, and Umi realises she looks so _hot_ like that. The notebook is lying on the ground, forgotten after the sudden kiss.

"Was that any help?" Eli eventually questions, her face so close to Umi's.

She's such a mess that she can't even reply. She only nods dumbly, before ducking her head to frantically look for her notebook and pen. Once found and picked up, Eli watches her scribble down many ideas and words, completely laser focused on her work.

After a while, Eli speaks up. "I can help you whenever you're unsure what to write. It's my job as your senior, right?" She swiftly kisses Umi on the cheek. "Maybe even your girlfriend, if you'd like that."

Umi has no idea how she'll tell Honoka and Kotori about this later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you mean: the most generic idea that has probably been used over a million times already?
> 
> Okay but I like the idea of Umi being completely charmed (and embarrassed) by how seductive Eli can be


	25. Fears (ChikaYou)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You doesn't have many fears.

You Watanabe doesn't have many fears.

Water? Of course not, the sea is like her second home.

Heights? Nope, she dives off high platforms all the time.

Insects? She has a fondness of nature, creepy-crawlies don't scare her at all.

She can be described as brave. Never thinking about herself, she'd rather rush forward into danger to save others if the situation arose.

However, despite being completely fine with many things that would get a lot of people scared, there's one fear that she thinks she'll never grow out of.

Thunderstorms.

It's not the storms themselves, but she gets a sick feeling in her stomach whenever her father is out on his ship, which is most of the year, and she hears the familiar claps of thunder. It's hard for her to even hide her fear; one glance at lightening and she's cowering under a table, covering her ears and pleading for it all to end.

The first time it happens during club activities, they're all sitting in the clubroom. There's a sudden flash of lightening, and You freezes, dropping her pencil onto the floor. Earlier that morning, there was a warning that there would be a particularly bad storm today, but it didn't make You feel any more prepared.

Chika is already by her side before anyone can speak. Yoshiko is chuckling to herself, claiming that thunderstorms are the perfect conditions for a fallen angel to manifest her powers, and Hanamaru lightly hits her with a book. Squeezing her eyes shut, You buries her head in her hands, taking deep breaths, though they come out as shaky.

"What's going on?" Dia asks, watching her with concern.

Kanan puts a finger to her lips. "She's afraid of thunderstorms."

Everybody else turns their eyes to her. Before they can approach her, she bolts from her chair and out of the door, Chika following close behind.

\---

Chika stops You from locking the bathroom door on her.

"You-chan, are you okay?" She doesn't even know why she asked; it's clear she isn't.

Wrapping her arms around You, Chika hums softly to her. She can feel her best friend trembling beneath her warm hold. It's times like this that make Chika remember that You is still human. She has her fears and weaknesses under her string exterior.

"I'm sorry. I'm 17, I shouldn't be getting so scared over this," You apologises, her voice muffled by Chika's shirt.

"Don't worry about it. It's only natural. I'd be terrified too if my father was a sea captain in this weather." Stroking You's hair, Chika breathes in the sweet scent of shampoo. "Do you think you'll be able to practice today?"

You pauses, loosening her grip ever so slightly. She lifts her head up, shaking it. "I can't focus like that."

She knows it's impossible to lie to Chika, who can see right through her whenever she tries to put up that false exterior of being totally fine and happy. It's what years of friendship has done to them; they have no secrets between each other.s

Chika kisses the top of You's head, remembering that they can't get anything done until the storm is over.

They decide to stay in the bathroom where there are no windows and it's mostly soundproof for a while. The rest of Aqours find them in there, sitting with their backs against a stall door.

Smiling, Chika realises that they've got all their friends with them to support each other whenever they need it.

She also realises that she loves it when You is cheerful, and it feels like some part of her is missing when You is afraid or upset. She wants them to be together for whatever life throws at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this angsty enough?? I've seen this headcanon floating around a lot and I really like the idea of it so I wrote this for an angsty request


	26. Distractions (NozoRin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Umi continues to be displeased.

"And for our next song, I've-" Umi is cut off mid-sentence when Nozomi tickles Rin's stomach, sending her into fits of giggles. Sighing like an old woman who has seen everything (which Umi probably has), she sets her papers on the table with a loud bang.

"Can you two stop for just a minute?" she asks, shooting them both a glare. Rin straightens up into a salute.

"Yes, ma'am."

They're both silent for a short while as Umi explains the venue they've booked for their performance, but it doesn't last long as Nozomi suddenly grips Rin from behind, laughing.

" _Girls_ ," Umi growls, standing up. The three of them are sitting cross-legged around a small table in Rin's old treehouse that had been built when she was a kid. Nozomi had suggested they have a meeting in here for a change of scenery, although it's obvious that her real intention is to stay over at Rin's without having any questions asked.

"Yes, Umi-chan?" Nozomi says in a fake innocent voice, looking up at her.

"You can do your shameless PDA stuff when _I'm not around_. We need to work."

She abruptly sits back down, rifling through her stack of paper for the lyrics. When she finds them, she hands a sheet each to Nozomi and Rin, who are now sitting so close to each other that she has to try not to look away in embarrassment.

"Sing. Maybe that'll get you focused," Umi commands. Counting in, she leads them into the song. She steals occasional glances from her sheet of lyrics up to the two of them, and it's clear to see that they are softly nudging each other throughout, making lovey-dovey eyes. It almost makes her feel sick.

There's the slightest giggle from Rin again during her solo when Nozomi pulls a silly face, and it makes Umi practically implode in on herself, but she doesn't say anything.

Finally, when they finish singing, Nozomi moves in to kiss Rin full on the lips, wrapping her arms around her. This startles Rin, and she falls back onto the floor with Nozomi on top of her. When they part, they're still laughing. Umi is not amused. Maybe she'll ask Kotori and Honoka if she can join Printemps. That won't be too bad.

"You two..." she hisses, steam metaphorically billowing out of her ears. "I come over here so I can work with you, but then you do _this_?"

Nozomi looks down at Rin, shrugs nonchalantly, and turns to Umi. "If you're feeling left out, we'll let you invite Honoka-chan and Kotori-chan."

And Umi leaves.

\---

She asks Eli the next day if she can join a different subunit, but is met with a kind refusal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaking of nozorin, I had a dream not too long ago that a new chapter of the SIP manga was released, and everyone was freaking out about it and saying it was really gay, so I went to check it out on the internet, and it was a chapter all about nozorin where nozo confesses at the end.  
> Man I wish it were real. The SID chapter with the stargazing isn't too far off though. I love nozorin
> 
> Also, quick question: I've almost finished the next chapter of Victorian AU and I was wondering if anyone would like it to be uploaded tomorrow instead of the usual Sunday? It's a fairly short chapter, but is still extremely important


	27. Studying Love (ChikaYou)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chika has tried almost everything in Riko's doujins.

Chika is lying on her bed, holding a book above her head as she tries to do what she calls "learning". Dia would be proud that she's studying for once, if she was actually studying school material. Instead, she has one of Riko's... questionable books about young love between girls, a topic that Chika never would have guessed that she'd be into.

There are pictures of the main character slamming her hand against a wall to trap her love interest, such a bold move that Chika thinks that she'd be able to seduce her crush perfectly with this.

The problem is, well, You has been totally immune to her attempts to charm her so far. So much for that. She's so dense that sometimes Chika feels like slamming her own head against a brick wall. But she won't give up, oh no she won't. She'll just need to find the perfect tactic to get You to be hers once and for all.

\---

You is always up early in the mornings. She likes to go for a morning run all on her own, do some other training or go to the pool if she has time, and then she finally takes the bus to school. She would consider running to school as well if she wasn't on such a tight schedule as it is.

Today, she arrives to school earlier than usual, before anyone else, so she can practice the new dance on the roof. However, when she opens her locker, a blue envelope falls out and onto the floor, with her name on it. She's used to getting love letters from various girls around school, so she quickly opens it, expecting to see a heartfelt confession.

But what she gets instead is a single sentence in big bold letters.

_I LOVE U ;)_

Raising her eyebrows in confusion, she hastily stuffs the letter into her bag before anyone sees, even though she's the only person in the building right now. She's too embarrassed to mention it to anyone.

\---

Chika sighs, lowering her head onto her desk. It's obvious that You has seen the letter, as she took a quick peek in her locker that morning to see if she had taken it, but there's no response or anything. She'd ask Riko what to do in situations like this, as she's the one who owns all of the yuri doujins, but Riko doesn't even know that Chika has them. She snuck them out of Riko's house around a week ago, and it seems that she hasn't noticed.

What else do the people in the books do?

Eventually, it comes to her. She quickly grabs a sheet of paper, scribbling something on to it, and waits for the end of class to put it in You's locker.

It's hard for Chika to make eye contact with You properly during Aqours practice, wondering if she's seen the note already. Dia scolds her a few times, and Mari laughs, already guessing that Chika is lovestruck. She's too clever.

Finally, practice ends, and she rushes downstairs, sprinting over to the cherry blossom tree at the back of the school. Mari watches her with keen eyes as she runs out of the room, pointing out to Kanan that their young Chika is finally growing up. Kanan only rolls her eyes.

Chika waits for about five minute until she finally catches sight of You jogging towards her from the distance. She almost cringes because this is way too cliche for her liking.

"Why did you call me here?" You asks when she arrives in front of her best friend, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Isn't it obvious? This setting, everything about this whole situation. I'm so cheesy," Chika laughs.

You's expression slowly morphs into something more surprised as the realisation begins to dawn on her.

"Wait... you really-?" she stutters, unable to find her voice properly.

Nodding in response, Chika steps closer to her, cupping her chin in her hand. She mentally thanks Riko for owning those books, otherwise she wouldn't be so _smooth_.

And she kisses You with everything she has. Judging by the way that You kisses back without hesitation, her hard work hasn't gone to waste.

\---

"So, Riko-chan, I used those yuri books you have to seduce You-chan. It worked," Chika points out casually to her neighbour as she stands on her balcony that night whilst Riko does her homework with the door open. Riko promptly falls off her chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chikayou is a Good Ship and I want more of them in season 2


	28. Replies (EliChika)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chika procrastinates on her studies.

Scrolling through tweets of celebrities, Chika hopes to see if any of the former members of Muse have posted anything lately. She's supposed to be studying, but procrastination exists and she intends to take full advantage of that. Every time one of the members of Muse posts a tweet, she replies as fast as she can in the hopes of being noticed, much like how a first-year student would continuously try to impress that super cool upperclassman that everybody loves. Like You.

Chika snickers to herself at that thought. You Watanabe, the cool senpai who everybody admires.

Anyway, after a few minutes of scrolling, she finally comes across a tweet from Eli Ayase. The real one, not a fake.

_Just got back from Russia! I had such a fun time :)_

How cool, Chika thinks, liking the tweet. Despite having been disbanded five years ago, the members of Muse still have large numbers of followers, in the tens of thousands, even. It must be hard to live a normal life when you're still being admired wherever you go. Maybe Chika will be in a similar position herself in a couple of years time. It sounds exciting.

She taps out a reply, making sure to sound extra nice.

_Are you glad to be back in Japan? I'd love to go to Russia someday as well ^ - ^_

Sighing, she turns back to the messy piles of work in front of her. Riko will get mad if she turns in her homework late yet again, so she grabs a pen and begins to work.

About half an hour later, her phone buzzes with a notification from Twitter. Eager to forget about her homework, she opens it up, only to have her jaw drop in shock. There, in black letters, is a like and reply from _the_ Eli Ayase. Chika can only stare at her phone, trembling slightly.

_Yes, it's nice to be back to normal. You really should visit Russia, it's an interesting country ( ^ω^ )_

Taking a screenshot of it when her muscles finally begin to work again, she sends out a message to the Aqours groupchat.

\---

The next morning, Dia is practically fuming that Eli had never replied to her. She refuses to speak to Chika at all.

"She betrayed me," she tells the group. They're all confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the crackiest pairing in all of ll, but this was,, interesting  
> I wasn't sure how else to make them interact, so there's not any actual romance in here unless you count Chika having a celebrity crush on Eli


	29. Awful at Hiding the Gay (KanaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanan tries on a shirt.

"So, uh... What do we do now?" Riko asks Kanan as they stand in the middle of a shopping mall, having somehow lost Chika and You.

"They'll be fine on their own until they decide to find us, I think. Let's just walk around on our own for a little while."

Agreeing, Riko jogs to catch up to her senior, who looks so stylish in her mid-length dress with a light jacket on top. She has to admit that Kanan looks kind of hot like that. They both have their hands full with bags as they're going shopping for no reason other than to simply hang out, and it is fun to be going out with friends.

Upon spotting a shirt in a shop window, Kanan pauses to look at it, asking Riko if she thinks she should try it on.

"Go ahead. It suits you," Riko replies, and she follows her into the shop. Kanan takes the shirt into the dressing room, Riko sitting on a seat outside it as she waits for her. She can only imagine Kanan taking off her dress to put the shirt on, the shorts she's wearing underneath sitting comfortably around her...

Blushing profusely, she shakes her head. There's no way she'll let herself think about Kanan like that. Chika and You wouldn't let her hear the end of it if they find out. _But those muscles..._

"No!" she hisses to herself out loud in frustration. She pulls her phone out of her pocket in her attempt to distract herself from thoughts like those, but her thumb hovers over Kanan's Instagram page, wanting her to tap on it and look at all those pictures she's posted.

Luckily, she's spared as Kanan steps out the dressing room in the shirt. It looks so perfect on her, not too baggy, but not too tight either.

"Does this look good?" she asks, pulling the bottom of it down to make it more comfortable.

Riko responds by nodding vigorously, unable to trust herself to speak. With a smile, Kanan heads inside again to change back.

When they leave the shop with the shirt, Riko suddenly finds herself blurting out, "You look hot in that."

Kanan widens her eyes in surprise, and Riko slaps a hand over her mouth, turning bright red. She can't believe she just said that. What if Kanan tells everyone else? What if-?

But then Kanan pulls her in _with those strong arms of hers_ , Riko can't help but add.

"Do I? Thanks, maybe I'll wear it a lot just so I can see you staring at me like that all the time. I'd like that."

Riko freezes. Was that just a confession? She's about to reply, but Chika and You bound up to them with large grins.

"Riko-chan has a helpless crush on you," Chika says, smirking. Riko sinks to the floor in defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna go for another boring title for this chapter but then I figured why not use this one?
> 
> Kanariko is a good ship,, and have you considered: KanaYouRiko? Riko just shamelessly checking out her ripped gfs


	30. English Lesson (NozoMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nozomi teaches some English.

"...And that," Nozomi concludes, as everyone sits in the clubroom doing their own thing, "is how I got to learn some very useful English words and phrases."

Maki nods hastily, scribbling down notes into her notebook, being the one who Nozomi is talking to. Even if it's not a big passion of hers, she still finds learning languages interesting, and she's always amazed whenever Nozomi can fluently speak English. Umi silently watches on with a concerned expression, as though she's suspicious of something.

"Would you like me to teach you how to say some things? It could boost your English grades," Nozomi asks, winking.

"If it's not too much trouble. In my opinion, it's always best to learn from experience," Maki replies, always being the intelligent thinker. She looks around the rest of the room, seeing what they're doing. Honoka and Hanayo are engaged in a deep debate about food; Nico and Kotori are flipping through a fashion magazine together; Eli is showing Rin some dance videos on her phone; and Umi appears to be writing on a sheet of paper.

"Sure thing. Firstly, when entering a conversation, you should get off on the right foot by complimenting the person," Nozomi begins. "Say stuff like ' _I like your hair_ ', or ' _I think your clothes are cute_.' Repeat those."

Maki obeys, repeating each word carefully to make sure she pronounces them right. Umi already knows where this is heading and she doesn't like it one bit. She writes more furiously to distract herself from them.

Nozomi claps her hands together when Maki finishes. "You're a natural! Compliments are also good ways to start off conversations as well, especially if you have _other_ intentions."

Umi has an idea of what these intentions are.

Maki coughs. "I just need to be able to keep getting high grades. I'm sure really elaborate conversations aren't needed for this."

"Yes, yes, but you'll still need to know in case you go to an English speaking country sometime in the future."

Sighing, Maki adds the sentences into her notebook, reading over them a couple of times to remember them. Nozomi chews on a sweet, watching over her with a sly grin that Maki fails to notice.

"Ok, what next?" Maki finally asks, the sentences neatly written down.

The grin spreads wider across Nozomi's face, and Umi slowly lowers her head onto the table in defeat. "Once you're done with all that complimenting stuff, you should go straight in with a kiss or something. Tell 'em you love them. It works even better when they're drunk. Listen to me: ' _I love you and I want to be your girlfriend_.'"

Raising an eyebrow, Maki repeats her with slight hesitation. When she's done, she looks up to see Nozomi moving in, and then she kisses her. Everybody in the room stops what they're doing to stare at them, with the exception of Umi, who's now trembling, refusing to look up.

"That's good, because I love you too."

After Nozomi moves away, Maki puts a hand up to her face to find it feeling slightly warm. That... was pretty exciting, even though it was unexpected.

"Did she just confess to her in English?" Rin whispers to Eli, who slowly nods, unable to take her eyes off the scene.

"She's smooth."

Nico groans, slamming her bag on the table. "You two can do your own lovey-dovey stuff when we're not around. Also, Nozomi, that was the cheesiest thing I've ever seen."

"You're so nice," Nozomi chuckles.

Honoka leans over to Kotori. "I want my first girlfriend to confess to me in a different language as well!"

Maki still has no idea how to respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd gotten about halfway through this until I realised that I only added in eight members of Muse, so I scrolled back up to see who I missed out. It was Nico. It took me a full minute of staring at my screen to realise I'd forgotten she even existed so I kinda just quickly added her in.


	31. One Big Cliche (YohaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshiko and Riko get locked in a classroom.

_Click_.

Both Yoshiko and Riko whip their heads around to the door they just walked through for Guilty Kiss practice.

"No..." Riko whispers, running over to it, frantically turning the handle with no luck. It's locked. "Did somebody just lock the door on us?"

Yoshiko looks up, folding her arms in an attempt to act cool about the whole thing. "Obviously. They probably didn't see that we're in here." She walks over to one of the chairs, sitting down on it.

"Isn't it clear that there are people here? They could have seen us through the window!" Sighing in defeat, Riko sits beside Yoshiko, tapping her feet on the floor in worry.

Yoshiko glances at the time on her phone. "How long do you think we'll be in here until somebody finally sees us?"

Not wanting to answer that question, Riko lowers her head onto the table, wishing to just be let out already. Yoshiko gets up and heads over to the window, not that it will be any help, seeing as they're two floors up.

"Or I can just rely on my inner powers to get us out..." she mutters, forcing the window open.

Riko bolts up, grabbing her arm. "You are not going to jump out of the window. You don't have secret powers. It was worrying enough last time when You-chan almost died for a uniform."

Now that's a story Yoshiko hasn't heard yet. She'll save it for later, though.

"Or we can shout and see if anyone hears us."

"That's... actually a good idea," Riko replies. "Go ahead."

Sticking her head out of the window, Yoshiko takes a deep breath, and Riko covers her ears to get ready for what will come next.

"WILL SOMEBODY GET U-" Yoshiko is cut off when her voice cracks from the volume of it, causing her to pause mid-sentence. "-S OUT...." She finishes her sentence much quieter.

Riko goes back to the door, banging on it. She doesn't much like the idea of being trapped in a room the entire night, and she'd rather have somebody shouting at her for making a lot of noise. Not that she can be blamed for it, because it wasn't her fault they were locked here in the first place.

"I dunno if anyone heard me," Yoshiko states. She goes to join Riko, but suddenly trips, slipping on a sheet of paper lying on the floor, and she's sent crashing to the ground. She grabs at Riko's leg as she falls in a desperate attempt to save herself, but this causes Riko to go down with her as well. They end up in an undignified heap on the floor, Riko on top of Yoshiko, face to face.

Riko immediately goes red at this. It's a cliche she's read about so many times, and now she's in the exact same position? If she were more bold, she'd do the next thing that the protagonist usually does, and would move in to kiss Yoshiko.

The door handle silently turns, and Mari walks in with a sly grin on her face. The two on the floor still haven't made an attempt to get up yet.

"You two lovebirds having fun down there?" she teases, quickly grabbing her phone to take a picture.

"Mari!" Riko scolds. She tries to get back up, but slips and falls back onto Yoshiko. This time with the unintentional kiss. They're both frozen, unsure of what to do in this situation.

"I see you've bonded quite nicely." Mari giggles. It was her plan the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that Mari doesn't call herself the "third wheel" in gk because she much prefers to set up and tease yohariko for fun


	32. Drawing (MariMaru)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari has a present for Hanamaru.

"And then," Mari says, digging around in her large bag for a box. When she finally finds it, she pulls it out, opening it. "You just plug this into the computer."

She takes a drawing tablet out of the box, and hands it to Hanamaru, whose eyes are shimmering with joy. She looks between the tablet and the computer sitting on the desk for a few moments, before asking, "How do I 'plug it in'?"

Mari laughs, taking it from her again to plug it in the computer, securing it. "Like that. Dia told me you were good at drawing, so I bought this for you!" She picks the tablet pen up, writing a "shiny!" across the screen.

Hanamaru steps forward to take a look, completely awed by the seemingly high level of complexity. Mari gives her the tablet pen.

"Now you try!"

Hanamaru beings by drawing straight onto the computer screen, but Mari quickly stops her.

"Not like that! Do it on the tablet!" she tells her, tapping on the tablet for emphasis.

"Oh... ok."

With a shaky hand, Hanamaru lightly writes her name onto it. When she looks up at the screen, her eyes light up at the sight of it written there on the digital canvas.

"I did it! It's the future!" she cheers, turning to Mari.

"See? You should try drawing stuff on it! I bet you'll be able to draw something really shiny!"

Mari knows that Dia will scold her if she finds out that she bought Hanamaru a really expensive drawing tablet, but she wanted to buy it, so she did.

She glances at her watch. "Oh no! I need to be with Yoshiko-chan to help her with a ritual. I'll be back soon! Keep drawing whilst I'm gone!"

And, much in the manner of a hurricane, Mari leaves the Director's office. Hanamaru takes a look around, never having been here on her own before, and then she sits back down on Mari's chair, ready to try and figure out how this drawing program even works.

\---

Mari returns about half an hour later, slamming open the door. Her hair is slightly messy, but that doesn't seem to bother her.

"How are you doing, Maru? Have you got a masterpiece ready to show me?"

Hanamaru lifts her head up, blinking in surprise a few times at the sight of her senior suddenly entering, and she nods. Mari strides over, bending over to take a look st the computer.

Then she freezes momentarily. The drawing is very sloppy, as Hanamaru has no idea how to use layers and switch tools and colours, but the idea of it is very clear. It's a picture of the two of them standing side-by-side with a small heart over the top.

"You drew us?" Mari asks, a grin spreading across her face.

"I tried, but I didn't know how to rub things out or change colours. I think I work much better with paper and a pencil..."

Mari pats her back, before taking a picture of the drawing with her phone. "No, no, I love it! I can't wait to show this to everyone! Maybe next time you can draw us holding hands, or doing something even more!" She winks suggestively, and Hanamaru claps her hands together enthusiastically.

"I know! Maybe I can draw us eating!"

That's not quite what Mari was going for, but she'll take it. One day she'll get Hanamaru to draw a picture of them both kissing. It'll just take time.

And in the meantime, she'll teach her how to use this program properly, all the while ignoring Dia's remarks of, "She doesn't need a drawing tablet. She can work perfectly fine on paper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd make this into a series as well. Ruby, You and Riko would be showing maru how to use the drawing tablet, but then Chika pops in, and, being the shitlord she is, draws fanart of the muse and aqours members, and somehow manages to influence maru
> 
> Dia also secretly draws nozoeli fan art once or twice. Nobody must ever know


	33. Meetings (RinMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your obligatory rinmaki coffee shop AU.

  _Work_. That seemed like the only thing she did all day. Get up at 6, get washed, have breakfast, leave for classes, come back, study, sleep. It was her daily routine that never changed; it had become a part of her life. To put it simply, it was boring. Her movements during the day were almost robotic, that's how much she had gotten used to her schedule.

  
She had gone to bed particularly late the night before, so she walked into the nearest coffee shop the next morning hoping for some solitude. The people in the shop, however, had other ideas.

  
"Are you fucking kidding me?! That brat took the drink and ran without paying!"

  
If the coffee wasn't enough to wake her up properly, the screeching voice definitely was. The room broke out in noise. Customers got out of their seats to watch a teenage boy sprint down the street, but nobody bothered to go after him.

  
_Great, just what I needed._ She rested her chin on her hand and sipped at the almost empty cup before her. The shop was already busy when she came in, so there was no choice but to take the seat near the entrance. Which was, of course, the area that people decided to shake their umbrellas off at when it was raining outside. Just like today. She stared blankly out of the window, thoughts of papers due in the next week piling up endlessly. The manager of the shop gave out a loud order, in a sharp, commanding tone.

  
"Hoshizora-san. Go after that boy and bring him back in to pay for what he took."

  
"On it!" A short, orange-haired girl leaped up and skipped out of the door, breaking into a run once she had gotten herself steady on the slippery pavement. Surprisingly, she had the teenager back within a couple of minutes, holding his hands behind his back.

  
"How come you were so quick?"

  
The girl stuck her tongue out at the manager. "Not everybody here is incapable of running, you know."

  
"Cut out the cheek."

  
"Yes sir."

  
She made her way back to the counter, her face a light shade of pink from the unexpected exercise. Meanwhile, the rest of the shop began clapping for her, for being able to stop a theft.

  
_Ah, I should get going soon._ The university student scraped her chair back and stood up, walking over go the counter. She slid some money across it to the orange-haired employee.

  
"Thanks for the drink." Well, just because she was tired it didn't mean she forgot her manners.

  
"No problem! I hope you enjoyed it. Hey, you look tired, is everything ok?"

  
_And now she's making conversation with me. Perhaps I shouldn't have come after all._

  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just university work is getting harder," she replied.

  
"I know how you feel. I'm a student too, but I have to work here too for some extra money. Cuts my studying time a lot, ya know?"

  
"Mmm..." Just what was she trying to get out of this small talk?

  
"If you need more coffee later, feel free to drop by! Except I'm only a part-timer here, so you won't see me around all day..."

  
"Ok, I will." She just wanted to leave so she could finish off some work she had sitting back at the apartment. Why did employees feel the need that they had to talk to every customer they met?

  
"Oh! My name is Hoshizora Rin, by the way! What about you?"

  
_And now she's even asking my name, too?_ "Nishikino Maki."

  
"That's such a pretty name! And you also look pretty, too!" Rin said with a grin.

  
Compliments, huh? Maki smiled politely. Actually, she was embarrassed by the sudden kind remarks. She didn't speak to people much, so they didn't speak to her in return. She turned to leave, giving Rin the signal to end the "conversation" they were having. It was more like polite small talk, really, with the exception of them giving their names to each other.

  
"Have a nice day! Come again soon."

  
And with that, Maki gladly turned and walked out of the shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've not written in past tense in a really long time. I prefer writing in present though so I'll stick to that ahaha


	34. Sketches (ChikaYouRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riko should learn never to trust her girlfriends with her stuff.

Riko loves her girlfriends.

She may get annoyed at them when they're doing something reckless or dumb, especially Chika, who has adopted a YOLO attitude, but she still cares about them a lot.

She enjoys going to the aquarium with them, and they look into glass cases containing fish of all different colours of the rainbow. Whilst they're there, she sketches the fish, sitting on a bench with a good view of them. She almost pulls out her other sketchbook at first, the one containing drawings of only Chika and You that nobody must ever look at, and she puts it back in the bag with a furious blush spreading across her face. After a few moments of her hand fumbling inside her bag, she finally takes out the correct sketchbook that she keeps for other drawings.

Just as she's about to begin drawing, she feels warm hands grip her shoulders, and a shadow appears over her paper.

"Watcha drawing?" It's You, peering at her sketchbook from behind her.

"Just some of the fish. They're really interesting," Riko replies with a smile.

You looks towards Riko's bag. "Oh, right. Can I just steal some tissues from your bag? Chika-chan's spilt something on herself."

"Go ahead." And Riko begins to sketch, humming quietly to herself. It doesn't even occur to her that her other sketchbook is in the bag that You is currently going through. Or at least, until You takes it out with a curious expression.

"What's this?" she asks, and Riko freezes, her eyes wide in horror. Her pencil clatters to the floor as she lunges forward, trying to snatch it from You's grasp. However, she's too fast and too strong, and she stands up quickly so it won't be taken from her. She flips through the pages, her eyes scanning each one.

"Give it back!" Riko pleads, but now You has this wide smirk on her face, that only gets bigger with each page turned. And Riko swears she can see the faintest blush tint her cheeks.

"I'm showing this to Chika-chan!" Just like that, she runs off, and Riko has no choice but to go after her before she reaches Chika.

Except she's already accepted her fate. You reaches Chika, who is sitting by the penguin pool, feeding them. Riko stops a few metres away, barely able to look at them.

"Look what Riko-chan drew!" You says, handing the book to Chika.

There's a short silence that seems to pass forever in Riko's mind as Chika slowly, carefully looks through each drawing, and she begins to smile in the same way that You is.

But Chika stops on one page, a blush growing on her face. "Why are we naked here?" she deadpans, turning the book to Riko and pointing at the drawing in question. Indeed, all three of them are, and they're engaged in an... interesting activity.

When Riko doesn't respond, Chika stands up. She's about to head over to her, but she suddenly slips on the wet ground, and tumbles into the water with a shriek.

"Chika-chan!"

The book is now in the water, and Riko feels a wave of relief and pity at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a good ship. I love second years ot3


	35. Flower Crowns (MariRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari breaks the rules once again, but Riko can't really be mad.

"Look!" comes a voice from behind Riko. She turns around, and sees Mari standing there, flowers cupped in her hands.

Riko sighs. She should have expected Mari to continue breaking the rules, but there was still some hope in her that she wouldn't. "You went back down to Earth again, didn't you?"

Nodding, Mari drops the flowers onto Riko's head, sitting down next to her. She leans her head back, smiling. "The human world is so cool. They have a ton of really pretty flowers!"

"And you don't care that Dia-san will get really mad at you," Riko replies.

Mari shrugs. "I'll deal with her when it happens. Believe me, I can be really persuasive."

Picking up one of the flowers, Riko studies it carefully. As much as she disapproves of Mari constantly going down to the human world to pick flowers and take whatever else they have, she still finds it interesting. It's not like she can order Mari to go back down to put them back, anyway. She may as well enjoy them.

Mari interrupts her thoughts with a clap of her hands. "I've got an idea! Let's make flower crowns for each other!"

"What?"

"They'll look super pretty and we'll have something cute to wear with our dresses!"

Turning back to the flowers, Riko thinks it isn't a bad idea. She would like to have a cute new accessory. Angels really don't get too much to wear apart from their mostly plain white dresses. This would be a nice addition.

"Ok, but don't get carried away and go down to Earth again," she warns.

Mari ignores her as she gleefully takes a handful of the flowers, beginning to thread them together.

There's a pleasant silence that follows as the two of them sit there for a while, carefully putting together their flower crowns. Riko picks out the colours that she thinks will look the best on Mari, having a good eye for fashion.

There's eventually a satisfied sigh from Mari when she's finished, holding the crown high up in the air to look at it. Riko takes her eyes off her own work so she can see the one that Mari has made.

"That looks really cute!" she says, reaching over to lightly touch it.

Mari grins. "Isn't it?! Here, I'll put it on for you."

She gets closer to Riko, sitting the crown on her head like she's a queen at a coronation ceremony, and then she kisses her forehead before she moves away.

"You really are an angel!"

Riko blushed bright red, hastily turning back to the flower crown that she's making so she can finish it.

Mari giggles like a little girl when she puts it on her, fidgeting happily.

The thing is, once the rest of their friends catch on, they also make flower crowns for themselves. Riko can't help but admit it loses some of the romantic value that hers and Mari's has, even though she'll always treasure it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised I've been going at this for over a month without missing a single day! I've got almost two weeks left though, so I hope I'll continue to not miss any
> 
> And thanks for over 3000 hits and almost 100 kudos!


	36. Start Again (HonoKotoUmi???)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She can change everything.

She wants it to be different to the first time. Not entirely, of course, otherwise they wouldn't win Love Live, but just enough so that everything wrong that happened before would be fixed before it happens again.

When Honoka asks her to be a school idol, she accepts much more readily this time.

\---

She doesn't change a thing during their first live. What is there that needs to be changed? Their performance ended up on the internet again, anyway.

\---

She makes sure she isn't caught doing such embarrassing poses in front of the mirror when Hanayo pops over to visit Honoka. After everything that changed about her, she still feels shame whenever she gets carried away with herself.

\---

She reaches out to Nozomi earlier for help. In return, Eli is also recruited earlier, with the help from the other members. They're a group of nine now, just like before.

\---

It's around this time when she feels she must do something. Right after their first performance as a group of nine, she watches Kotori carefully to see exactly when her composure changes. It's not for a few weeks, until she finally walks into school with a distracted expression.

So Umi decides she must approach her first.

\---

"Honoka-chan," Umi watches Kotori finally confront her best friend as they walk home from school.

It's a while before the open day performance, before Honoka goes into full overdrive. There is time to stop that, as well.

Honoka turns to her. "Yeah?" she prompts.

"I..." Kotori casts a glance to Umi, who nods her head supportively. She pats her shoulder with a reassuring smile. "I received a letter yesterday."

Kotori thrusts a letter into Honoka's hands. "What's this?" she asks.

"Open it, please."

Obeying, Honoka quickly opens the letter, holding the sheet in her hands. She reads over it for a few minutes, and the silence that comes with it is frightening to them.

When she's done, she looks up at Kotori. "What are you going to do?"

"That's what I want to ask you. What do you think I should do?"

Umi darts her eyes between them as Honoka considers their options. She folds her arms, clearly deep in thought. At the same time, Umi mentally pleads that Honoka would tell her to stay. That's the only way they can win.

She remembers when she asked Kotori about it this morning. She was shocked, but she never asked Umi how she knew in the first place. Umi hates being selfish, so when Kotori asked her for advice, she told her to ask Honoka and see what she says, hoping that Honoka would ask her to stay.

And now, Honoka reaches for Kotori's and Umi's hands, lacing her fingers between them.

"You love outfit designing, right? You should totally go for it!"

Kotori's eyes widen. "You think so? But what about Muse? There will be only eight members..."

"We'll continue it until we save the school, because I think you'd want that, right?"

Umi's heart plummets. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out.

\---

Muse saves the school. They disband right after, as they have no reason to continue with the eight of them, with the exception of Nico, Rin and Hanayo, with Nico claiming that they should continue.

Umi had never felt so regretful and empty before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this is showcasing a worst-case scenario if Kotori spoke to Honoka before everything went down. I think Kotori would eventually decide to stay after having a LONG talk with her friends if she told Honoka earlier, but this is for the Angst
> 
> Also, I chose Umi to go back in time because she had a big role in major plot points (Eli recruitment, 2nd years drama), that she would have the ability to change. I was going to go for Nozomi, because of spiritual stuff and whatever, but then I realised that Nozomi probably wouldn't change a thing so...


	37. About the Past (EliMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli thinks back to when she did ballet.

Long fingers dart across the keys of the piano effortlessly. The breeze blows in through the open window, lifting their hair gently as Maki plays and Eli dances gracefully along with it.

_"I've not done ballet in a really long time," Eli says wistfully after practice. She turns to Maki. "Are you going home now?"_

_Maki shakes her head. "No, I'm going to the music room to play the piano a little before I leave."_

_"Really? Can I come with you?" Eli asks, her eyes lighting up. "I want to try dancing to your piano, just because I feel really nostalgic about it today for some reason."_

_"Sure."_

Eli remembers how bitter she felt all those years ago when she lost ballet competitions, despite her hard work. Comforting words did nothing to console her at the time, and she despised taking pity. She channels these feelings into her every light move across the wooden flooring in her less than glamorous uniform.

_"Eli, you can always try again. You've got your whole life ahead of you to continue doing ballet and I'm sure you can reach the top!"_

She smiles. She may not be doing ballet anymore, but she has another passion to pursue until the end of her highschool career. Thanks to everyone in Muse, she's found where she belongs.

Glancing at Maki now, she can tell that she was also in the same position as her until not too long ago. She went through life with barely any friends, and now she's found those friends, she wants to treasure them.

Eli twirls on the spot at a particular dramatic moment in the music.

_"I quit being a school idol," Honoka says._

_It's so silent you can hear a pin drop. Eli wants to speak out, but she can't find those comforting words that her ballet instructors and family somehow found so easily when she was young._

_When Honoka begins to leave, Umi rushes forward and slaps her, overcome with emotions. Sometimes comforting words are worthless in a situation like this._

_Sometimes you need to learn to be harsh._

And then the music slows, and so does Eli's dancing. What if her ballet instructors were harsh to her back then? Would it have been any different? Would she have won competitions, or found it even harder to get along with people?

The final note is hit. Eli relaxes, and she smiles at Maki, who smiles back.

If she hadn't quit ballet, would she be where she is now?

"Thanks," Eli says after a short silence.

"For what?" Maki turns in her seat after lowering the cover on the keys. She rests her chin in her hands.

And Eli hugs her, gripping her tightly. It's also fine to be selfish every once in a while, right?

"Thanks for giving me the opportunity to be in Muse. I've grown so much because of you all." She releases her hold. "I've finally found the place where I fit in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely sure what to say for this one except I love these two and the episodes where they joined muse were so heartwarming


	38. Too Deep (YohaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshiko can't help it.

Yoshiko isn't one to give up easily. She tries every possibility, no matter how outlandish they sound, until somebody forces her to admit defeat.

It's herself, right now, that's telling her to give in. Throw in the towel. Stop trying. Each word she thinks to herself pierces itself deeper into her heart, the sharp knife of unkind words and harsh realities.

She knows, despite her best efforts, that her crush will never like her back.

Maybe it's because she's too weird; it's easy for people to be turned off by her lack of tact and her proclamations of descending from Hell.

And she thinks of those elegant fingers on a piano, those soft golden eyes that are easy to fall in love with, those red locks of hair that she so desperately wants to thread her fingers through.

When she tries to stop falling so deep, when she tries to put an end to her helpless crush, every aspect of that girl becomes highlighted more, as though Yoshiko's mind wants her to keep going after her.

She gets weirder with every day that passes as she rises her fallen angel persona to her very surface to bury those lost feelings deep within her. At one point, she almost scares off Dia, the student council president herself.

The whole time, Riko only watches on fondly, along with Chika and You, as friends. That's all they are, and all they'll ever be.

Yoshiko falls back onto her bed when she gets home, scrolling through all of the Aqours group chat messages. She sees Riko trying to calm down a particularly hyper Mari, who somehow also gets Chika involved. She sees You and Kanan being the voices of reason when Riko herself gets heated.

Riko is human, more human than a lot of other people she's met in her life, those kinds of people who would wear fake exteriors to make themselves look better than everyone else. Riko isn't like that at all.

She's not like Yoshiko either, but that doesn't stop her from being so in love.

Groaning, she turns onto her stomach, trying to sort her mess of thoughts out.

So the next day, she walks into school with a resolve to not care anymore about what everyone thinks of her, Riko especially. She stands on the table in the clubroom, carrying out a ritual that makes Ruby run from the room in terror. But she still doesn't stop there, getting louder with each sentence spoken, until she's screaming.

Then Dia gets mad, and she shouts. Even students on the top floor can hear her. She storms from the room, and the other third years leave to calm her down.

The second years look on, unsure of what to do. Hanamaru left to find Ruby, so it's just the four of them left.

Chika says that they should go and help Hanamaru, and the three of them get up from their seats.

Riko casts a glance to Yoshiko. She pauses momentarily, opening her mouth as though she's about to say something.

"I'm sorry," Yoshiko whispers before she can get a word in. Without another word, she flees.

Is this what love does to people?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yohariko angst? I gotcha
> 
> I wrote this right after I drew some fluffy yohariko as well...


	39. An Attempt at Studying (HonoNozo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honoka invites friends over to her place to study.

When Nozomi offers to tutor Honoka, Umi can already tell this is going to go in a bad direction.

The three of them go over to Honoka's house, along with Kotori, who had agreed to tag along. As they get settled in her room, Kotori offers to make tea for everyone, and they accept. She leaves to go to the kitchen, and Umi quickly wishes she had gone down with her.

Nozomi claps her hands together, a large grin spreading across her face. "So, Honoka-chan, are you ready for some serious education?"

Raising a fist to her chest in some sort of salute, Honoka replies, "Yes!"

With that, she reaches down into her bag, before pulling out all of her books, slamming them onto the table in determination.

"These are all the classes I'm failing. Please guide me, Nozomi-chan!"

Umi rolls her eyes at the fake seriousness, but Nozomi seems to be enjoying this. "So basically you're failing every class," Umi mutters.

Folding her arms, Honoka pouts. "Not true! I'm not failing sports anymore!"

Nozomi is flipping through the pages in the maths textbook, drumming her fingers on the table in thought. She tutored Nico before, and that turned out well, right? Maybe she should use the same techniques on Honoka. With this realisation, her expression becomes much more devilish.

"And no, you are _not_ going to 'massage' her," Umi says sharply when she notices this.

"But it's a good teaching technique!"

"No it's not. It's assault," she deadpans.

Nozomi frowns, turning back to Honoka. "Let's start! How about we-"

They're interrupted by Kotori entering the room again, holding a tray with four mugs of tea and some sweets. She sets them down on the table, and Honoka's eyes light up.

"Yay! Thanks, Kotori-chan!" she says, grabbing one of the sweets.

Umi sighs. "This isn't a tea party. We came here to work." She's about to tell Nozomi to back her up, but it seems she's also forgotten the purpose of being here. "Nozomi!"

"What?" Nozomi asks innocently, her mouth full. "I'm hungry after practice, and eating is a good way to refresh our minds to prepare for studying. Maybe that's why you're so grumpy."

"Huh?"

"Oh, by the way, Honoka-chan, I told your mum that I'm staying over tonight so we've got the whole evening to ourselves," Nozomi points out casually. Umi chokes on her tea, and Kotori helpfully slaps her back to stop it.

"Yes! I'm so excited!"

"The whole... evening?" Umi whispers, her mind immediately straying to scenarios that are far too lewd for her. She puts a hand over her mouth.

Honoka nods. "Yeah! We're gonna watch a movie and Nozomi-chan said that she'll help me with some extra student council work that I couldn't get done at school!" She takes another sweet from the small pile, popping it in her mouth without any cares in the world.

"Did you think we were gonna do something else, Umi-chan?" Nozomi asks slyly. When Umi doesn't reply, her face turning as red as Maki's hair instead, she chuckles. "You really do have an exciting imagination. I can assure you we'll be doing none of that. Kissing, maybe, but nothing that you're thinking about."

As if that's enough to console Umi. She slams a hand down on the table, making Kotori jump. "Studying, now!"

She sometimes wonders if she's the only sane person in Muse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of comedic fluff to get us away from the angst train that has been the past few chapters
> 
> Tomorrow I've got something super cracky prepared, so be ready for that


	40. Let Ruby Say Fuck (no pairings)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self explanatory.

It all starts when Mari barges in during CYaRon practice, when You is going over the costume designs to the other two.

"Ladies!" Mari exclaims, and all three heads turn to her at the sound of her loud voice. "I've forgotten some paperwork, and I think I left it in here. Can you help me look for it?"

You rolls her eyes. "Shouldn't you be with Yoshiko-chan and Riko-chan?"

"Yeah, but they're hanging out with Azalea right now. Riko-chan said something like we should take inspiration from their maturity and overall aesthetic. Anyway, the paperwork I need is about the venue for our next performance..."

Mari climbs under the table, and there the sheet is, on the floor in front of Ruby's feet. "Got it!"

However, once she's under there, she gets an idea. She begins to tickle Ruby's legs, still underneath the table. Ruby begins to laugh, and then she's full out squealing incoherent words. The rest of Aqours had found out that Ruby was really ticklish a long time ago, but none of them dared to touch her after Dia locked Yoshiko in a storage cupboard when she tried to do it.

"Mari-chan, you really wouldn't wanna do that. Dia-san's gonna kill you," You warns, but Mari dismisses her with a laugh.

"Don't worry! She'll never fi-"

And then Ruby kicks her in the face. Accidentally, of course, but still hard enough to probably leave a big bruise there.

"FUCK!" Mari yells in pain, and she tries to get out from under the table, only to hit her head on it. "Fuck... fuck, fuck, fuck..." she mutters, rubbing her head.

Chika stares at her in disbelief. You has her hands clamped over Ruby's ears.

"Don't fucking swear, Mari-chan. Ruby-chan is too pure for this," Chika scolds, forgetting her own hypocrisy.

"She'll be fine. I'm sure she has no idea what it means." Mari stops when she realises her nose is bleeding from that kick. "...I need to go and wash my face."

She leaves with the paperwork. You tentatively removes her hands from Ruby, who looks completely bewildered.

"Is she okay? I really need to apologise..."

Chika leans back in her chair. "You really don't need to. It was her fault in the first place.

Ruby looks thoughtful for a moment, then she asks Chika in such an innocent voice, "What does 'fuck' mean?"

They really didn't think this through.

Chika hastily searches for an explanation that wouldn't be so harmful, and she thinks she must look like a real idiot right now. "It... uh, is just another word for... 'sorry'?"

Seeming satisfied with this definition, Ruby grabs a pencil, getting back into work.

\---

"How did you manage to hurt yourself like that?" Dia asks Mari at Aqours practice the next day.

"Ah... well I kinda got kicked."

Dia raises an eyebrow. "By who? I'm sure you must have provoked them to kick you."

Before Mari can reply, Ruby runs up to them. You is already looking worried.

"Dia, I'm so sorry! It was me! She tickled me, and I accidentally kicked her!"

Narrowing her eyes at Mari, Dia says, "I can't believe you'd do that."

You and Chika gulp, preparing themselves for what's coming next.

"FUCK!" Ruby shouts, lowering her head in an apology.

Everyone on the roof falls silent. Kanan slams her hands over Hanamaru's ears, Yoshiko spits out her drink and then begins to choke, Riko is looking absolutely mortified, and Chika is hiding behind her back.

Dia's mouth hangs open in disbelief. The silence is broken when Mari begins howling with laughter, clutching at her stomach.

"You think this is a joke?" Dia hisses, grabbing Mari's arm. "Why did you teach her that?"

Through her laughs, Mari says, "I didn't tell her the meaning or anything! I didn't even say it was a bad word! I promise!"

Riko sighs, pulling Chika in front of her. "Chika-chan is looking pretty suspicious. You should ask her."

Chika takes a deep breath, feeling Dia's emerald eyes staring daggers at her. If looks could kill, she'd be on her way to her own funeral.

"It was me,' she stutters in a low voice. "Mari-chan swore when Ruby kicked her, and I gave her a false explanation as to what it means. I told her it means 'sorry'."

She looks back up at Dia, who has her arms folded, and there's now a small smile beginning to make its way onto her face. A smile that's way too kind for Chika's liking.

"I see," she says. "So you were both involved. In that case, I have no choice."

\---

If one person being locked in a storage cupboard was cramped, imagine two people in there at the same time.

Dia has no idea how she'll ever be able to look her younger sister in the eye ever again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe we should also do a let Hanamaru say fuck as well. They're too pure for this world
> 
> Headcanon that Chika and Mari swear constantly, You and Yoshiko also swear sometimes, and dia is done with them


	41. Right Choices (RinMaki, mentions of NozoEli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RinMaki pirate/mermaid AU.

Rin almost falls out of her small rowing boat when a familiar mermaid pops her head out of the water beside her.

"Eeeh?! Maki-chan, you scared me!"

Maki rolls her eyes, putting her hands on the boat to steady it otherwise it really would tip over. She lowers herself in the water slightly more, so her mouth and nose are beneath it, and she stares at Rin for a few seconds.

"I didn't think you'd wanna come and talk to Rin willingly. I'm kinda happy!" Rin points out. Maki rarely takes the initiative to meet Rin herself, usually waiting for the young pirate to approach her first.

"Yeah, well, I was bored," she replies. "Nozomi was having fun with her pirate girlfriend over there and I wanted to see you."

Rin laughs. "You mean Eli-chan? She told me that she had a girlfriend. Never thought it'd be a mermaid." She pauses. "But we're girlfriends as well, right, Maki-chan?"

"What." Maki's face reddens, and she tries to hide it by splashing some water on it. Being in a relationship with a human? That's unheard of... well, at least until Nozomi hooked up with that other human. "You never spoke to me about this before."

"I thought it was just common sense. We basically act like a couple already, ever since you saved me!"

"I never- ugh, forget it," Maki says, running a hand through her hair. She still remembers the day she and Nozomi found a ship crashed into a small island, and they took in the two survivors. Rin has always been looking for a way to repay her ever since.

Rin pokes her cheek lightly, earning a pout in response. "You're cute when you're flustered, y'know."

And she's got that grin on her face that she always gets whenever she's feeling mischievous, which is basically a lot of the time. Maki huffs. "Fine! If you wanna be my girlfriend... then I wouldn't object, I guess?"

Rin's face lights up, and that's all the confirmation Maki needs. She can't help but smile.

"Yay! I can't wait to tell Eli-chan! Maybe double dates with you guys or something, or..."

Maki knew she had made the right choice to save Rin back then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been feeling sick today so just a short rinmaki thing...
> 
> If the pirate UR pair is Rin, I'll write a much longer oneshot for this AU when she comes out, as maki is a UR as well for the mermaid set, including the story of how they were saved and stuff,, just an excuse for more rinmaki because I've been thirsting for it a lot


	42. Movies (NozoUmi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nozomi, Umi and Rin watch a movie together.

"What kind of movies do you like, Umi-chan?" Nozomi asks as she sits on her couch with Umi and Rin.

Umi ponders for a moment, looking at the DVD shelf beside her. "I like old classics, like the heartwarming family tales or movies about animals. Mysteries aren't too bad, either."

"Really? That's so boring!" Rin pipes up. "I love action movies! Horror movies are fun as well!"

Umi looks slightly terrified at this, which gives Nozomi an idea. Smirking, she reaches over and pulls a DVD out from the shelf, slotting it into the TV.

"What movie is it?" Umi asks slowly, as though she's suspicious of something.

"Nothing much! Just a plain ol' horror movie!"

With that response, Umi's face pales, and she cuddles up to Nozomi, clinging to her even though the movie hasn't even started yet.

"They're not that bad!" Rin dismisses with a laugh.

Before Umi can reply, Nozomi hits a button on the remote control, and the movie begins. It's already eerie, with the sound of echoing footsteps across a floor in an abandoned house. Umi wants to look away, but she can't bring herself to, like her eyes are glued to the screen.

This continues for a few minutes, and suddenly there's a blood-curdling scream as a woman gets killed on-screen. Umi shrieks, getting so close to Nozomi that she can barely breathe. Nozomi simply pats her head.

During the climax of the movie, when another person gets brutally murdered and the killer rips off a mask to reveal their face, Umi is trembling, shaking the sofa. She has no idea why the other two aren't getting scared; they're actually laughing at the scene. And then there's a jumpscare. Umi leaps onto Nozomi, and they both topple over the edge of the sofa and onto the floor. Rin pauses the movie with a sigh, peering over to see if they're alright.

They don't seem injured, with the exception of Umi's dignity. She's sprawled on top of Nozomi, and it would probably look very sexual if Umi wasn't so close to tears. Nozomi lifts her head up slightly, kissing Umi on the lips for a second.

"Does that make you feel any better?" she asks. Umi lowers herself onto Nozomi's chest.

"I can't believe you made me watch this," Umi replies, more mad than scared now.

Somehow, they both fall asleep like that after not too long of silence, and Rin makes sure to take a picture to send to the Muse group chat. She immediately gets a million responses from an overjoyed Honoka, followed by an irritated Maki who just wants a peaceful night.

It'll be fun if they become girlfriends, Rin thinks to herself as she switches the TV off, and curls up on the sofa with plans to tease them both tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If nozoumi ever became a couple, Rin wouldn't even be the third wheel. She'd just use this to set them up and play pranks on them 
> 
> Also the horror movie described is just one I made up. I've never watched one before because I tend to overthink things a lot haha


	43. Talking (KotoMaki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working in the music room.

It's peaceful in the music room. Kotori is adding the finishing touches to a dress for a live show that's coming up, and Maki is at work on her laptop, making the instrumental track for their new song. They don't get to be alone together often, but it's still comfortable when they are. The only sounds are of clicks on the laptop.

"Hey," Kotori eventually says, breaking the silence. "Don't you find it hard to compose a fresh piece of music for every song from scratch on your own?"

"Not really," Maki replies, lowering the volume so she can hear properly. "It used to be a little hard at first, but now I've just gotten used to it."

"That's good." Kotori reaches into her bag for a thin red ribbon, and she begins to sew that onto the dress. "I agree with you. I mean, making so many costumes was hard at first, but now Nico-chan and Hanayo-chan help me out a lot, and I've gotten into a routine. Sewing is really relaxing; you should try it."

"Maybe." But Maki knows how clumsy she can be with a needle, after attempting to sew a button back onto a dress of hers when she was younger, and the maid wasn't around. There was quite a bit of blood involved in that. She winces at the memory.

The dress that Kotori is making right now is coincidentally Maki's. For some reason, she's been trying a lot harder with this dress, as though to please her. She doesn't dismiss it as anything other than trying to meet the high expectations of the wealthy heiress.

"Why are you here anyway?" Maki asks. " Isn't the club room more practical for sewing?"

Kotori shrugs. "I just wanted to be with you. Why, is there a problem?"

"Not at all. It's just..."

"We don't talk to each other that much," Kotori deadpans, finishing Maki's sentence for her. "Don't you remember when we were kids?"

 _Of course_. Maki's eyes soften, remembering talking to the young Kotori when she was in the Nishikino hospital because of her leg. "I'm surprised you haven't forgotten."

Kotori laughs. "Of course I've not forgotten. The smart beauty that you are, talking to me all those years ago. It feels like it was just yesterday."

There's a quiet confidence in the way Kotori speaks, Maki can tell. As though she knows everything about her, and can make her do whatever she wants.

Lifting the dress up, Kotori realises why she has been trying so hard with it. Is it to impress Maki? Completely. But it's far more than to simply meet the needs of somebody as spoilt as her.

"What do you think?" she asks, turning the dress to Maki.

"I like it," she replies immediately, not leaving any room for doubt.

Kotori smiles to herself, having found a new project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll be able to end this on exactly 50 chapters, let's see how accurate I am haha


	44. Games pt3 (platonic idiot trio + Eli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Video games again and Eli still has no idea what she's doing.

"How about another game tonight?" Honoka asks Eli before practice one afternoon.

"Do you really want me there? You saw how bad I am when we played together the last couple of times..."

Honoka brushes her off with a laugh. "Don't worry! It's fun at least. Surely you find it fun, don't you?"

Eli can't disagree with this. So she agrees to go to Honoka's house after school with Rin and Nico, who are regulars when it comes to video games.

\---

"I'm surprised you came here again. You did crap last time," Nico deadpans, untangling her controller lead.

She's being honest as usual, but there are no hard feelings in it. Playing games is just a hobby, and none of them actually take it really seriously. Well, with the exception of Umi, who refuses to back down and gets extremely competitive when she can be convinced to join in.

At least Eli isn't as bad as that. She gets comfortable, and Honoka presses play. As soon as they are in, Honoka rushes off to an unfamiliar place.

"What's this?" Eli asks tentatively. Nico stares at her in disbelief for a moment until Honoka replies.

"We need to go here to defeat a boss! It's a good way to teach you to get better at the game!"

Yeah, right. Eli rolls her eyes, remembering the last time they tried to fight a boss together. Forgetting to use her sword at a crucial moment was not cool at all.

"Oh, are you scared?" Rin teases.

"Of course not!"

"Just kidding!" Rin turns back to the screen, taking out a massive sword. It's unlike anything Eli has ever seen before. She hopes she can become an expert at the game, too, for the cool weapons and armour. She'll become the hero who will save them all.

Her daydreams are disrupted when there's a loud roar sounding from the screen. It's the boss. All confidence Eli had is now vanishing into thin air as she smashes buttons in her panic to escape, wildly swinging the sword that Nico lent her.

"That's not how it works, Eli-chan," Rin says, fighting as though it's nothing to her with her oversized and flaming weapons.

"You've got to kill the boss, not run away from it!" Honoka pipes up.

"But how?! I'll get killed before I can even hit it!" Eli squeaks in surprise when it comes charging towards her, until she's backed into a corner. "Help me!"

Nico sighs, almost like she's an old woman who's done with life. At this point, she probably is. "Just- just give the controller to me."

Giving it to her with a shaking hand, Eli watches as Nico helps the other two quickly get rid of the boss. And yet again, Eli realises, she did nothing but hinder them the whole time.

"Next time, yeah?" Honoka says. Eli isn't sure why she keeps inviting her to play, despite her abysmal lack of skill, but she shrugs.

"Sure."

"And next time, I'll make sure we teach you how to be one of the best players," Nico adds on with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got some more ideas for this little video games thing ahaha,, maybe in the next few days I'll do a fourth part


	45. Skating (YouMaru)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqours go ice skating.

It's Mari who suggests that Aqours should go ice skating together, just for fun. Everyone is eager to accept, so they head out to the rink one Sunday afternoon.

"Firstly, does anyone here even know how to skate?" Dia asks, remembering that she can barely skate.

"Me!" Chika raises a gloved hand, unable to contain her excitement. "Kanan-chan and You-chan are also super good at skating! We went a lot when we were kids!"

"I can as well, a little. Not a big deal," Yoshiko adds with a shrug. It's as though she's trying to be cool and casual about it.

"I know Ruby can't skate, but..." Dia looks towards the others that haven't spoken. Mari laughs sheepishly.

"Oh, right, I can't either. I went when I was in America, but I just kept slipping."

This is when Chika gets an idea. She looks towards her childhood friends, who can already tell what she is thinking. "We'll teach you guys how to skate!"

\---

You and Hanamaru are off to the side, after You offered to teach her junior one-to-one. Hanamaru is clinging onto the railing for dear life, which You giggles at. She doesn't dare to move, otherwise she might fall.

"What do I do? Help me!" she squeaks, absolutely terrified.

You offers a hand, but Hanamaru still doesn't take it, as she's afraid she'll lose her balance. "Come on, I'll help you! There's no need for you to be scared!"

Lifting her head up to look at You properly, Hanamaru feels some kind of admiration towards the way she stands on the ice so confidently as though it's not slippery at all. She gulps, shutting her eyes, and she quickly removes a hand from the railing, grabbing onto You's outstretched one. You wraps an arm around her waist to steady her.

"See, it wasn't all that bad, was it?"

Hanamaru doesn't really want to answer that one. Her other hand is still gripping tightly to the railing. You is silent for a moment, wondering how she should go about this. She moves slightly so she's beside the railing as well.

"Hanamaru-chan, if you just move your hand further down the railing, you'll be able to easily hold me!"

She does as she's told, transferring her grip from the railing to You's arm. _Those muscles_. You slowly edges away from it, until they're both out of reach of the railing.

"Is this okay?" she asks, which Hanamaru replies to with a hesitant nod.

"That's good! Now, try following me!"

You ignores the pain in her hand from Hanamaru's iron hold, and she gradually starts to walk across the ice, her other arm still around her waist. From the other side, she can see Yoshiko tripping and almost falling on her face in an attempt to show Ruby some kind of cool trick.

Forgetting that she's still with the other first-year, You picks up her pace, and Hanamaru shrieks with surprise.

"Wait! I can't-"

And Hanamaru loses control, sliding forward. She expects to tumble to the ground, but is held up by strong arms. Except now You is toppling over from the sudden force of having Hanamaru crashing into her.

You hits the ice, Hanamaru on top of her, uninjured from the mattress that is You. All heads turn their way, and Kanan and Chika rush over to check if they're alright.

"That hurt..." You mutters, her arms still tightly wrapped around Hanamaru.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it! I kinda went too fast there, haha..."

You sits up, adjusting Hanamaru in her lap. Dia wants to go over there to scold them for being so careless, but she's stuck where she is on the other side of the rink, unable to skate.

"This is actually kinda comfy..." You mumbles, running her fingers through Hanamaru's hair.

At this point, Kanan seems pretty worried. "Did you hit your head or something? We ought to get you checked out."

You laughs her off with a smile. "No, honestly, I'm fine!" She pats Hanamaru's shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about!"

Kanan helps them both up, and insists on taking You to the first aid room, despite her protests. Chika follows close by, with Hanamaru.

"You got saved by your handsome prince, huh?" Chika asks her slyly. "Just like in those books you read."

Meanwhile, Ruby is still terrified that Yoshiko will get carried away with herself. Riko tries to warn her not to pull any dangerous stunts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ACCIDENTALLY UPLOADED THIS TO MY VICTORIAN AU FIRST WHOOOPS
> 
> Anyway I love youmaru and it's such an adorable, pure, and underrated ship. They're also my first and second best girls so what's not to love about it??  
> This drabble got kinda long ahaha


	46. Business (YouRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YouRiko assassins AU.

You easily manages to pin Riko down, flicking her knife out of her hand and trapping her underneath You.

"Game over," she whispers, getting off her. She extends a hand to Riko, who stands up, brushing her uniform down.

"That was so quick. You're really good, You-chan!"

"Ehehe, I've been practicing."

You twirls the knife in her right hand nonchalantly, tucking her left hand in her pocket. They're in a secluded place in the park, where they come to train often. Of course, slacking is inexcusable in this business, which they both know.

Riko takes a moment to get her breath back. "Our next mission shouldn't be too hard, then. I'll be able to lead him to the trap, where you strike. There are other plans if this one doesn't succeed, but hopefully it won't get to that point."

"Gotcha," You replies with a grin. A few years ago, they had become assassins in order to eradicate all bad people. They only have the best intentions, even though they're still killing humans for a living. Their friend, Chika, quit after a couple of years, with the reason being that the lifestyle simply wasn't for her.

They respected her wishes, and You and Riko became much closer as a result.

"Do you remember our first assignment together?" Riko asks wistfully.

"Yeah. The first plan went utterly wrong, because we still were unsure how to approach each other. But then, it succeeded, and I don't think I ever felt more proud in my life. However, that kinda just became natural after a while. Like a routine. I miss the thrill that this brings..."

There's a hint of sadness in You's voice as she thinks of how much they've changed since then. Maybe living a life like this isn't as exciting as some people say it is. She wants the thrill and excitement of adventuring to new places without a body count.

"Y'know," You begins, putting her knife back into her pocket, "I think I'll quit this soon. I wanna see what living normally is like."

"Me too," Riko agrees. Before You can say anything, Riko envelopes her in a hug, and she kisses her like it's their last, even though they've still got their whole lives ahead of them. "And we'll be together no matter what happens, right? If we stay in the business or not, I never want us to grow apart."

"Yeah, I think we've been through too much together to be separated."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love assassins AUs so much,, You is one in my Victorian AU, and I've also got another AU planned after I finish that fic that's focused on Muse being assassins, depending on what you guys want me to write next


	47. Reaching Out (YohaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Yoshiko is actually a demon.

"Why would you care?!" Yoshiko screams. She swiftly sweeps an arm across the bookcase, sending ornaments flying to the floor, shattering upon impact. The only other person in the room is Riko, who refused to leave after the others went to seek help.

"Because you're my friend!" she replies, her voice cracking. Yoshiko can see the tears filling her eyes, threatening to spill out, but she doesn't say anything. Instead, she throws a book across the room, which smacks into the wall on the other side.

"And why does that matter? I'm a fucking monster!" She usually swears with harmless, lighthearted intentions. This is different.

Because Yoshiko is a monster. That's what she considers herself to be. At the very least, she's not human. "You saw me! You saw me lose control of myself and you saw me attacking! Why..." She can't help it. With a wail, she drops to her knees, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Why did you stay behind?"

Her voice is barely a whisper at this point. At the start of the year, she vowed not to lose her grip on her human side. That's what she promised her human father. That she'd be a normal schoolgirl. She broke the promise. Yoshiko's fist slams into the carpet, causing a crack in it with her inhuman strength.

Riko doesn't storm off. "I don't want to see you like this! You're funny, and strong, and kind! That's the Yocchan I know!" She pauses. "But you've also been carrying a huge burden, pretending to be completely human all this time, when that only makes up about half of you."

Yoshiko suddenly looks up. She must look pathetic right now. How did...?

Before she can try to ask, Riko answers her unspoken question for her. "And yes, I know where you come from. Why? It was easy to see through you. A bit of research gave me everything I needed. I don't like prying on people, but you were the mystery that I was eager to solve."

There's silence. Then, "Have you told the others?"

Riko shakes her head, a sad smile on her face. "I'm good at keeping secrets. I try to think about the feelings of other people, and put myself in their shoes. You wouldn't want me to spill everything, so I didn't."

Riko... The city girl who calls herself plain and boring is the first one to see through that fake exterior that Yoshiko has put up all year. She's something amazing, even if she doesn't see it yet.

"I..." Yoshiko chokes out. She doesn't know what to say.

But words aren't needed, for Riko walks up to her, carefully avoiding shards of broken glass, and hugs her. "I wouldn't change my Yocchan for the world," she says, threading her fingers through Yoshiko's hair.

They stay like that, in a quiet embrace until the others appear with a teacher. And Yoshiko doesn't deny anything. She tells her full story, with a reassuring smile from Riko.

Riko had been the one to destroy the wall between Yoshiko and everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure at all what to write today,, so I just did... this. Yoshiko really does get a lot of the angst in my fics ouch  
> I'll make sure to give her plenty of lighthearted stuff in the future ahaha,, she's suffered enough here
> 
> The pirate UR pair is confirmed to be Rin, so expect a separate oneshot rinmaki pirate/mermaid AU within the next few days!


	48. Poems (UmiPana)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanayo writes poems.

Hanayo likes writing poems. It's a way of expressing herself, writing her thoughts on paper, using bright imagery and metaphors.

Lately, she's been fascinated by one of her seniors. The one who is always so serious, does things with a calm exterior, and never lets herself be defeated. The one who is somehow looks so beautiful in whatever she does.

Hanayo scribbles down her appearance during an archery competition. Her long blue hair, tied back into a loose ponytail, and those warm brown eyes that focus intently on the target. There's so much in Umi that Hanayo wants to write about, and she keeps a special notebook hidden from the others.

\---

Umi writes lyrics for the group. Sometimes it's a hard job, when she hits a wall in her work and can't break through for a long time. In these situations, she usually asks Nozomi for help, who has a way with words.

On a cold day, she sits curled up on Kotori's sofa when everybody is around to visit, writing lyrics in her book. There's a warm mug of tea on the table beside her, and she feels perfectly comfortable right now. The others are doing their own thing right now, but she doesn't feel lonely.

She feels somebody sit down beside her, and when she looks up, she sees Hanayo writing in her notebook as well.

"You don't mind me sitting here, right?" Hanayo asks, noticing Umi's concerned expression.

"No, it's fine." Umi offers a smile, which Hanayo returns. They sit in silence for a few minutes as they continue writing.

Eventually, curiosity gets the better of Umi. "What are you writing? Is it homework?"

"Homework? No, I did that a while back. I just enjoy writing poems in here."

Umi's eyes light up. She had no idea somebody else in the group would be that interested in writing. She hadn't talked to Hanayo too often, so she didn't know too much about her hobbies. "What kind of poems do you write?"

Hanayo's face reddens, but she quickly replies, "Ah, just stuff. Sometimes nature, sometimes about how I feel..."

"That sounds interesting. You'd be good writing song lyrics."

"Ehehe... Not really..."

Suddenly, from behind, Honoka leaps onto the back of the sofa. Hanayo drops her book on Umi's lap in her surprise, whirling around to face Honoka. Umi's gaze lands on the book, even though she didn't mean to look there.

"Did I scare you?" Honoka asks with a playful smile.

"Ah... You-"

Hanayo is interrupted when Umi lets out a squeak, much higher than her usual pitch. All heads in the room turn to her.

"What is it?" Eli says urgently, standing up.

That's when it dawns on Hanayo. Umi read what was inside the book. She buries her face in her hands, trying to hide her obvious embarrassment.

Umi finally speaks. "She... wrote..."

She doesn't get to finish her sentence as Honoka snatches the book, flipping through the pages. This won't be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such an underrated and pure ship, also I'm a sucker for rarepairs please give me more


	49. Shopping (ChikaRiko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chika drags Riko along on a shopping trip.

Usually, when Chika goes out shopping, she's in and out within ten minutes with what she needed. But when she's shopping for idol merchandise, it's a whole different story.

"Explain why you felt the need to take me with you," Riko says in a slightly exasperated tone as Chika drags her around a shopping centre by the hand.

"You don't know much about idols, so I thought that you'd like them more if you came with me! I especially wanna show you some Muse merch that I've been looking for."

Riko doesn't protest, but she still wishes that Chika wouldn't be gripping her hand so hard. She sighs, walking faster to catch up. "You get really excited over this stuff, huh?"

Beaming, Chika nods. "Of course! Idols are my life!"

Suddenly, Chika makes a sharp turn as she spots something in the window of a shop. It's a book, all about the history of Love Live, highlighting Muse as one of the groups that revolutionised the school idol world. Chika runs up to the window, pressing her face and hands against it as she stares in awe. Riko stands about a foot behind.

"Is the book really that special?" she asks, already preparing herself for the verbal essay that her girlfriend is about to give her.

"Yes! It's a limited edition book that got completely sold out when it was first released! This is like gold!"

"Sooo... Are you going to buy it?"

Chika's face momentarily falls when she reads the price. That's way too much for an impulsive spender like her. Hastily grabbing her purse, she hopes that she'll have just enough money.

And she doesn't. Chika groans when she realises she doesn't have nearly enough, and she shoves her purse back in defeat. There's something about this expression that Riko doesn't like, and she wants to see that smile again.

She silently takes out her purse, counting her money. Her family is fairly well off, so she can afford to spend this on others. Riko holds up Chika's hand, who looks up in surprise.

"This is for you. Buy that book," she says with a soft smile. She puts the money in Chika's hand, closing her fingers around it.

"I can? Really?"

"Yep."

Riko doesn't regret it one bit as she watches her face light up again, rushing into the store to buy the book.

\---

Chika takes it to school the next day to show the others, and Dia attempts to bribe it off her in vain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright I go back to school tomorrow, which should be the end of this drabble series, but I'll write a chapter tomorrow to make it 50 (it's gonna be umirin), and then I'll also write a bonus chapter the day after, which will be games part 4, so yeah


	50. Winter Wonderland (UmiRin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's snowing.

"Umi-chan! It's snowing!"

Rin skips out of Umi's house, a spring in her step as she laughs with glee at the winter wonderland before her. Umi stands in the doorway, a fond smile on her face.

"We should build snowmen! Maybe an igloo! Ooh, ooh, how about a little hut?"

She certainly does have a very imaginative mind, Umi thinks. As hyper as Rin is, Umi can't help but be dragged along sometimes into her wild ideas. She's like a hurricane, sweeping everyone up in it. Sort of like Honoka.

"I'll be out in a minute," Umi tells her. She goes back inside to grab a coat, and two scarves and pairs of gloves, as Rin had forgotten hers. She doesn't want her to catch a cold now.

When she finally steps outside in the snow, Rin is searching for sticks, her cheeks already tinted pink from the cold. "Need any help there?" Umi asks.

"Nope!" Bending over, Rin picks up a thin stick from the ground, wiping the snow off it. "I'm gonna build a snowman with these!"

Umi helps her to roll up a couple of big balls of snow, setting them on top of each other and securing the sticks. They put a few stones on the front for the eyes and mouth.

"And now for the finishing touch!" Rin announces, pulling her scarf off.

"Wait, Rin, you can't do that! You'll catch a cold!"

Umi is dismissed with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'll be fine!" After wrapping the scarf around the snowman, Rin stands back to admire her handiwork.

"Whaddya think?"

"It's really cute. But you honestly should put your scarf back on..." Umi replies with a concerned expression. She hesitantly steps forward so she can take the scarf back off the snowman, but Rin suddenly hits her in the back of the head with a snowball.

"Hey! Why did-?"

"C'mon, Umi-chan! We gotta have a snowball fight!"

After Rin throws another snowball, Umi decides it's time to get serious. She's extremely competitive when it comes to things like this.

"You're on!"

\---

By the end, both are lying on the snow, exhausted, but still laughing. Rin cuddles up to Umi, who puts an arm around her.

Umi would usually be scolding her, or dragging her back inside because lying in the snow just isn't dignified and who knows what kind of dirt could be in there, but she thinks twice about this when she sees just how happy her girlfriend is.

Rin interrupts the peace with a sneeze, and that's the signal for them to go inside, Umi lecturing her on how she should have kept her scarf on the entire time. But it's endearing, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have finally hit 50 chapters! Thanks so much for over 5000 hits, it's insane! I'll thank you all properly in the next and final chapter, featuring more video games with the idiot trio and Eli, but I'm really happy right now haha
> 
> Also I'm surprised I kept this up the whole summer without missing a single day


	51. Games pt4 (platonic idiot trio + Eli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Games round four.

"Are you up for another boss fight, Eli-chan?" Honoka asks Eli as they sit in front of Honoka's TV with Rin and Nico.

"Actually," Eli begins, a smile spreading across her face, "I'd like to see your base."

"My base? Uh, ok..."

Honoka leads the way, jumping across the land to reach the location. When they arrive, Eli isn't impressed. It's boring and messy. It's just rows of boxes across a small area of land to shove items in.

"Really? You've not bothered to make it look nice?" she scolds. Honoka stares at her for a moment, blinking.

"Does it matter? It's serving its purpose."

The other two nod in agreement, and Eli sighs, wondering just how they've managed to survive like this. Well, it's not her place to criticise them for it, seeing as she's not as good of a player as them, but _come on._

"Is something wrong?" Rin asks tentatively.

"Of course!" The three of them are stunned into silence, and they watch Eli move her character to one of the 'buildings'. "Do you think that this'll provide you with joy? Do you think you'll be proud of a place like this? You've got to treat your base with love and care, as though it's your own home! You've got to decorate it and make it feel like a proper place, otherwise people won't like it if they come to visit your world!"

"She's... really passionate about this," Rin whispers to Nico, who has a frown etched upon her face.

"She's got a point, I guess."

"And that's why I'll help you improve your base!" Eli announces with a dramatic swing of her sword.

"What?!"

\---

They spend the next couple of hours rebuilding everything under Eli's command. The plain boxes get demolished, with much nicer-looking houses placed there instead.

"So she knows everything about building in this game, but nothing about combat. Makes real sense," Nico points out, casting a sideways glance towards Eli.

"Well, somebody has to know this stuff," she replies.

Honoka can't help but find it funny that Eli is really getting into this, after being hesitant to join in at first. It must be because she hardly ever played video games in her childhood. This is like watching a child learning the controls for the first time, and it's quite cute.

It gets finished some time later, with all four of them helping to build a much grander base. There's a variety of materials and furniture, and they realise Eli's right. It does feel like a home.

"This is great!" Honoka exclaims, nudging Eli in the arm, who laughs.

"We should do some fighting real quick! Maybe you've improved now, Eli-chan," Rin says with a smirk.

"Bring it on!"

That's the story of how Eli actually helps to defeat a boss, with a better understanding of the controls and the game. Honoka, Rin and Nico don't shut up about it for a week, which almost drives Umi mad.

And Eli buys her own console later on, because she's got to become as good as them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we are brought to the end of this drabble series! Honestly I never expected to get so much support on this, and I actually feel kinda sad to end this, but this was only supposed to be a challenge that I was gonna do throughout summer, and now it's complete!
> 
> So I'm still doing my Victorian AU, and I'll post oneshots separately just like I did before. If you have any requests, feel free to tell me and I might make them into longer oneshots!
> 
> Also, make sure to hmu on my [Tumblr](https://we-say-nosoro.tumblr.com/) if you ever wanna talk, and I sometimes post drawings, headcanons and shitposts on there!
> 
> Sooo, I guess that's it for now. Thanks again for following this 51 day long drabble series challenge thing!

**Author's Note:**

> Please send in requests! I'll probably end up running out of ideas at some point, so I'd love for you to send in whatever you want me to write! Ill do anything apart from NSFW, sorry...
> 
> Anyway, let's see how well this goes


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